Life Will Turn Around
by Nicia
Summary: All Human! Rose, a single mother, who lives a hard life with her three children. What happens when she signs up for night classes and meets the kind Dimitri Belikov? What about when her abusive ex forces his way back into the picture?
1. Chapter 1

**Life Will Turn Around.**

**Huge thanks to sebsbadkitty for the title!**

**This is going to be a short story, no more than ten chapters I think, but we'll see how it goes. I was going to originally set this story in America, but then decided to set it in Leicester, which is in England. Since I'm English, I find it slightly easier to write about things that are happening here or places that are here, rather than in America as I've never been there. I hope that won't put you off reading this story though!**

**Also, this story is rated M. Though the majority of it is probably T-rated, there will be one or two M/M+ scenes. However, I will mark where they start and end, so that if you want to read the story and skip these scenes, you can do.**

**The first chapter's a bit slow, but it's needed as it introduces us to Rose and her life, and so sets up the 'stage' for the rest of the story. Right at the end of it, we'll be introduced to Dimitri, and from then on he'll feature heavily. ****I hope you'll enjoy this story, and please let me know what you think! Denicia xx**

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><p><strong>SummaryPrologue.**

Rose Hathaway lives a hard life for a twenty eight year old. Recently divorced, she's been forced to leave the comfort and security of the home she shared with her -now ex- husband, Adrian Ivashkov.

After falling pregnant at such a young age and following the dreams of her then husband, she now finds herself working three jobs and barely earning enough to get by. With three children to support, and no help from the courts, she has nothing. There's no family living close by to support her as she struggles, and her friends have moved on in the world, with little time for their former friend who was forced to cut all ties to her previous life or lose the father of her children. A tiny flat, barely big enough for one person to live in now has to situate all four of them, and it's tough trying to find even enough money to cover the rent some months.

With few qualifications and skills to her name, Rose finds herself falling into depression and despair. In a last ditch attempt to improve the quality of her family's life, she signs up for night classes at the local college… where she meets Dimitri Belikov.

He's kind, gentle, caring and interested… something Rose hasn't known for a long time. But with her self confidence at an all time low – after all stretch marks, a wobbly tummy and all the other accessories that come with having kids and not having the time to work out are more than enough to make a woman feel 'unworthy', especially when faced with a six foot seven Russian Hottie… with abs that even Michelangelo would be proud of – can Rose find the belief that all things happen for a reason, and that just once, things are about to go her way?

Can Dimitri break down the walls that Rose has built to protect her heart? Can Rose learn to trust, and more importantly – love – again?

Will love grow between the two of them - something Rose thought she'd never experience again - and give her the chance for her own happily ever after?

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><p><strong>Chapter One.<strong>

I sigh as I reach to scan the first item and notice who's standing in front of me. Camille and her two spoilt brats. Immediately, I chide myself for holding such mean thoughts, and plaster what I hope to be a friendly and approachable smile on my face as I repeat, in my head, the mantra that's been drilled into my head over the past two years. _The customer comes first. Make sure that everything is to their satisfaction, and that they leave with a smile on their face – or in this case, faces._

"Hi, how's your day going?" The haughty look on her face only increases as she practically sneers at me before answering.

"Fine. Thank you." The words are short and clipped, indicating that she either doesn't want to talk to me… or doesn't think I'm worth talking to.

So, for the moment, I fall silent as I scan more of her items before asking my next question. "Do you need any bags or assistance in taking your shopping to your car?" I _hate_ working at Tesco. A minimum wage salary, long working hours and interacting with people who think the sun rises and falls as they wish. I fact, I hate all three of my jobs, but you have to do what you have to do.

She smirks, and this time her brats join in. "No."

Alright, alright, I get the picture. I want to shout and scream at her to not look down her nose at me the way she does. That not too long ago, I had a husband, and a five bedroom house. My kids didn't have to share _a_ bedroom and the majority of their clothes weren't fished out of charity shops or out of a pack of fifty from a Cash and Carry store. Once upon a time, everything was perfect in my world. I had my prince… but he turned out to be a lying, cheating, abusive scumbag. And now I'm stuck living on the edge, scrabbling to make ends meet. Worrying every month about whether I'll get paid on time. Scared that the electricity meter will run out, and I won't have enough money to top up the card. Or that the gas company, or the water company will shut us off – fed up with my late payments.

But I can't say any of that. If I did, it would be unprofessional, and I can't afford to lose this job. I really can't. So, instead, I bite back the comment I want to make and say the last thing that my contract requires me to ask - at least while the store is still running the offer.

"Are you collecting the 'Equipment for Schools' vouchers?

This time she doesn't even bother to answer me. Instead she throws a curt nod in my direction before her beady eyes fix upon the bag that I'm placing her shopping into – most likely checking to ensure that I haven't squashed her caviar or whatever other overpriced rubbish she's purchased.

I rip a few vouchers off of the pad that's tucked in next to my till and place them in the bag before reading out the cost of her shopping. _Two hundred and fifty four pounds and thirty six pence._ I try my best to not gape or stutter as I read the price and she hands me her credit card, no expression across her face. Though she comes in here almost every week, this is the first time she's been served by me. I can't help but steal another glance at the figures on the receipt as I hand her back her card and the receipt. That's more that my entire monthly shop – food, clothes and everything else included.

She doesn't say thank you as she takes the card and paper from my hand, whilst ensuring that we don't touch. Almost as if she thinks that living on the breadline is contagious and she's afraid to catch it.

She starts to push her trolley away and her spoilt son – Bradley I think his name is – follows after her. But the daughter, the one in Alyssa's year hangs back for a few moments. Her name escapes my mind, but I'll ask Alyssa when I get home.

I look at her in confusion as she looks at me almost pityingly before speaking. "Do you think that it would be possible for Alyssa to come to my birthday party on Saturday? I gave her an invitation two weeks ago, but she still hasn't told me whether you said she could or not."

I frown at her for a few minutes, trying to wrack my brains for any memory of being told about a party. There's nothing there, but I smile and nod anyway. "I'm pretty sure she could. Where's it being held?"

She smiles brightly at me before replying. "At the Siam Corner restaurant on London Road. At five o'clock."

My heart sinks as she speaks those words. It's one of those places that you can tell, just by looking, that it's expensive. Too expensive, though it's probably worth the amount they charge. "And how much would it cost?"

I cross my fingers under the counter in the hopes that her parents will be covering the price of the meal, since it's their daughter's birthday.

But it seems like God isn't smiling down on me today. Her smile fades slightly as she answers. "Between twenty and thirty pounds."

My face drops as I try to work out if I'll be able to work our budget around so that Alyssa can go. Maybe if I buy nappies from the Cash and Carry rather than Boots. They're cheaper, but they'll probably give Sophia a rash, and then I'll have to buy cream for that. Tom might be able to wait another month for his shoes, and I can use the money to pay for Alyssa's meal. Or-

My internal ramblings are cut off by Katrina – remembering her name makes me smile. A slight frown adorns her face as she watches me. "It's okay if she can't go. She said she wasn't sure if you were busy or not this weekend.

My heart drops once more. Alyssa was embarrassed. Well, not at me, but at the fact that we couldn't afford the things that all the other children in her class could. My heart broke as I thought of my little girl, only ten years old, but already trying to figure out how to make things easier for me, so that she didn't add to my list of anxieties. It wasn't fair for a child to go through that. She shouldn't have to go through that, not at this age.

I paste a smile on my face and try to speak as confidently as possible. "She'll be there. Thank you for inviting her Katrina."

She smiles her bright smile at me once more before running over to her mother who's been waiting surprisingly patiently by the exit.

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><p>I sigh tiredly as my key turns in the lock and I step through into the flat. The sounds of the TV drifting through the walls soothe my frayed nerves, letting me know that Alyssa and Tom are home safely. Sophia wriggles in my arms, eager to go and see her brother and sister after a long day at nursery, and I don't blame her. She's two and full of energy, much like Tom, her five year old brother. Alyssa, the eldest, is ten, but her personality is much more reserved. It wasn't always like that, but then again, she wasn't always a witness to what happened when Adrian went on one of his drunken rages… I shake my head to remove the memories.<p>

Sophia wriggles in my arms again and I set her down gently, smiling as she hugs my legs for a moment before running through to the front room where all of the noise is coming from, and I continue on to the kitchen.

I sigh again as I sift through the few bags that I hold in my hands, before placing the items in their designated places; milk in the fridge, cereal and bread in the cupboard, meat in the freezer.

A slight smile works its way onto my lips as I pull out the last few purchases. They had used up the last of my spare change for the week, but at least Alyssa would have something a little bit special for Saturday, and she would have a decent present for Katrina too. That would put a happy, genuine smile on my little girls face and fill her with excitement rather than dread.

Just as I'm about to call out to her, I feel a small pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind before squeezing me gently and letting go.

Turning, I see that it's none other than Alyssa, her big green eyes staring up at me in earnest as she smiles. She, like Sophia and Tom, had inherited her father's eyes. Huge, emerald green irises with long, dark eyelashes that framed their eyes beautifully. I'd named her after my best friend in college – Lissa. She was the only one who had stood by me when I'd found out I was pregnant and decided to keep the baby, and had supported me with every choice I made. Some of the choices had been for the worse, but like a true friend, she was there to pick me up and offer me the advice and help I needed to get back on my feet. She'd begged her parents to let me stay at their house when my own parents had threatened to disown me, and had even offered to sell her car for me so I could use the money to find somewhere to live. We'd fallen out of contact just after Tom was born, well; I'd stopped getting in contact because I was too embarrassed to speak to her anymore, but I didn't doubt that if I rang her tomorrow and asked for her help, she'd offer it without a second thought. I smiled before pulling Alyssa into another hug and kissing the top of her head. "How was school?"

Normally she'd have nattered on endlessly, telling me all about the gossip that was travelling the playground, and the things she'd studied during her lessons.

But instead, she buried her face in my stomach and squeezed me tightly before shrugging.

"Did something bad happen?"

She started to shake her head before changing her mind and nodding, still hiding her face from me.

Gently, I pulled on her arms so that she had to step back, before tilting her face up to face mine.

Tears were making a slow, sad pathway from the corners of her eyes down to her cheeks as her lip trembled with the effort of not making a sound.

"Hey, hey. What's wrong?" My voice was soft as I lead her over to the dining table and sat down before pulling her onto my lap. Her head leant against my shoulder as she wrapped her arms around me once more, clinging to me like I'd disappear if she didn't.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, as I rocked her in my arms gently and hummed a lullaby under my breath, dotting kisses across her forehead as her tears slowed and eventually stopped.

"Do you want to tell me about it now?"

She bit her lip for a moment before nodding and taking a deep breath. "Katrina asked me to her party again because I didn't reply to the invitation I gave her."

I nodded. "She saw me today at work and asked if you could go." I held off from telling her the good news just yet, first I wanted to know what had happened that had made my little girl cry.

"I said that I didn't know yet… because I thought we might be busy. But the real reason was because I know we don't have the money."

"And that's what's making you upset?"

She shook her head. "No. Katrina was fine with it and said to let her know as soon as possible. But Caitlin and Molly heard…" she sniffled again before continuing. "And they said that it was because I was too poor to go, and that I couldn't even afford to buy my own lunch and that's why I have to have free school meals, because you were a bad mum and shouldn't have had me or Tom or Sophia… And, and that I'd be better off dead or in care."

Her shoulders started to shake as she started to cry again, while my hands balled into fists. What I wouldn't give to beat the crap out of those two b- brats.

"Honey, what they say isn't true. You know it's not true. And I'm sorry that I can't afford to buy you all the things that the other kids in your class have."

She nodded forlornly against my shoulder. "It's not your fault mum. I know dad doesn't do what he should…" She trailed off, and I felt as a few more tears splashed onto my shoulder.

"But…" I let my voice trail off, and she looked up at me curiously. "I do have something that I think will make you feel better."

She shook her head. "I don't think anything could make me feel better."

I grinned at her. "Just have a look in the bag on the counter. I think you'll be surprised."

She glanced at me doubtfully before her curiosity got the better of her and she slipped off of my lap.

"OMIGOD!" And millions of squeals were all I heard before she flung herself at me, the biggest grin I'd ever seen spread across her face.

I laughed and patted her back before prying her off gently so that the clothes in her arms didn't get crumpled.

"Is this seriously for me? For Saturday? I get to go?"

I nodded, a smile breaking across my face at her pleased reaction.

"Wow." She whispered softly as she stared at the item in her hand. It wasn't anything special, just a Hello Kitty t-shirt from H&M. But the significance was that it was a brand name t-shirt, something she hadn't had since she'd gown out of the clothes she'd had before the divorce.

In her other hand was the present I'd bought for Katrina. It was a small bracelet in a proper jewellery case. I'd forgotten that the continental market was still set-up in the middle of the town centre, and so had stopped for a few minutes before picking up Sophia to see if they had anything worthwile.

There'd been a small jewellery stand that held all sorts of things. A few necklaces and pairs of earrings had caught my eye, but the charm bracelet had seemed perfect. It was fine and delicate, the chain made of silver. Little pearls, no larger than a pinhead hung from it at random intervals along with small pieces of gemstones in every colour you could think of. Something unique and tasteful, that she could wear with almost anything.

"Oof!" The breath was knocked from me as Alyssa pulled me in for another fierce hug.

"Thank you mum. So much." I could see the earnest gratitude across her face.

"You're welcome sweetie. You deserve it."

She grinned again before catching me off-guard with her next question. "Do you need help with dinner?"

I laughed and waved her off. "You go and enjoy yourself, go and relax. I've got it covered."

"Thanks mum!"

And just like that, the bad comments of her classmates were forgotten as we slipped back into our easy routine.

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><p>Nerves built up in my stomach as I glanced through the door of the classroom.<p>

About ten people were in there, laughing and joking with each other as they perched on desktops causally, waiting for the lesson to begin.

I was fine with meeting new people, but it had been years since I'd been in a setting like this. I hadn't been in school myself for ten years, and when I did leave, it was with a huge, pregnant belly and the scorn of all my classmates and teachers. But back then, I was young and naïve… and believed every word that came out of Adrian's mouth.

I laughed inwardly to myself. If only I'd known back then what I knew now…

I sighed regretfully and stole a glance at my watch. Five minutes until the lesson was supposed to start. In a desperate attempt to gain some more qualifications other than my GCSE's and A-levels, I'd signed up to night school at the local college. The course I'd signed up for ran three times a week from six til eight pm, and because I earned so little I'd been able to sign up for free. It was a course aimed at getting people into trades, as well as into the business world, and so Monday's covered I.T, Wednesday's covered advanced maths and Fridays focussed on languages. The Friday class was optional. Well, optional in that you got to choose which language you wanted to learn out of French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Japanese or English, for those who's first language wasn't English. I'd chosen French in the hopes that someone else in the class would be just as bad – if not worse than me, at learning languages.

As quietly as possible, I pushed the door open and stepped into the room, my eyes focussed solely on the desk at the back. The chatter had died down for a moment as I'd entered, but then started up again as they saw I wasn't the teacher. Once I'd made it to the desk in the furthest corner of the room and sat down without anything seemingly going wrong, I breathed out a sigh of relief.

Fumbling around in my bag, I pulled out a pad of paper and Alyssa's pencil case before glancing around the room. No one was paying me any attention, and I felt my body relax further. _No one's judging you Rose_, I chanted in my head. _No body cares that your top's faded or that your jeans have a couple of tiny stains from where Tom spilled his paint as you were about to leave and you barely had time to dab at it with a dishcloth unless you wanted to be late. Or about the fact that you have a saggy body that clearly shows you've not recovered from having three babies. Or that you're not dressed in designer clothes and your hair's tangled…_

My internal babble shut off as my ears registered the near silent whisperings of the class. My eyes lifted from where I'd been unconsciously doodling on the cover of the pad, to the rest of the people in the class. There were a few more of us in here now, about twenty people of assorted shapes, sizes, races and nationalities scattered throughout the room.

But that wasn't what had caused the silence to descend. The man who'd just entered had.

He was tall, probably a good four to five inches taller than Adrian, which meant he'd tower over me. Making a rough guess, I'd say that he was around six foot six, or six foot seven. He's not gangly or lanky though, despite his height. Instead, his white t-shirt, black jumper and jeans show off a body that has to have been perfected through many hours in the gym. Rather than being bulky or stringy, he's lean and defined. His muscle tone is clear to see through the way that his clothing fits him, but it's not done in a way to show off. Draped over his arm is something long and made of leather, which isn't cheap, and from his height I'd say he'd have to have the majority of his clothes made specially. He has chestnut brown, shoulder length hair that's pulled back from his face, a face that like his body is defined and strong looking. Chiselled cheekbones, a strong jaw line and a sturdy looking nose are all held in his face, which is impassive as it swivels from side to side, his eyes searching for a free chair.

My eyes dart around the classroom, and dread grows in my stomach as I realise that the only free seat is right next to me. At the free half of my desk.

Once he sees it, his eyes light up slightly and he starts towards me, even his walk sure and confident. I shrink into my seat, feeling intimidated even though he's halfway across the classroom from me, as his eyes lock onto mine.

I gasp silently, shock radiating through me. His eyes are the most beautiful chocolate brown I've ever seen. They appear warm, gentle and kind, a stark contrast to the raw strength that his body portrays.

I drop his gaze and feel as my cheeks flush slightly as he slides into the seat next to me. Desperate for something to do, I literally stick my head in my bag, pretending to look for something so that he doesn't have to look at me. Fat, squashy, comfortable mummy next to him, Mr… man from every woman's fantasies.

The door slams and my head snaps up to see our teacher make their way to the front of the class. As the rest of the students quieten down and wait for her to organise her papers, I feel a gentle tap on my shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, I turn to face the man sitting next to me.

Perhaps noticing my apprehension, he smiles at me, and that smile does strange things to my insides as well as making me relax.

"Since we're going to be sitting next to each other for the next year, it's probably best that we introduce ourselves. I'm Dimitri." He holds his hand out towards me and I hesitate before placing mine in his. His huge hands dwarf my small ones, making me feel petite and delicate, as a spark runs up my arm and throughout my body.

"Rose."

He shakes my hand firmly before pressing a tender kiss to my knuckles. His lips barely brush my skin, but my heart jumps into my throat and I feel tingles in places that haven't… tingled in years.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Rose." His voice holds a slight accent, one that I can't place, and I feel a twinge of disappointment as he lets go of my hand.

"It's nice to meet you too."

He smiles at me once more, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he opens his mouth to speak. But whatever he's about to say is interrupted by the teacher, who is now ready to begin.

He smiles at me apologetically before reaching into the bag I didn't notice him carrying, pulls out a pad of paper and a pen, and focuses his attention to the front of the class.

I follow suit, but can't help the smile that passes over my features quickly and lifts my spirits. Perhaps this won't be quite so bad after all.

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><p><strong>So what do you guys think? Please leave me some feedback and reviews, as I'd love to know whether you think this is a story worth reading or not. What was your favourite part? Any predictions for future chapters? xx<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the amazing reviews, faves and alerts for this story! I'm really glad that you're enjoying it and I hope that you'll enjoy the rest that's to come. Not too much happens in this chapter, but it's kinda essential to the rest of the story, and it starts off the chain reaction that we all hope will lead up to what we want most. RxD and a happy ever after! :D**

**The fool – I hope you'll enjoy the way that this story progresses! :)**

**Badbadgurl – I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! And thank you for reviewing.**

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own Vampire Academy, its characters or content. All rights go to Richelle Mead.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two.<strong>

My routine carries on like this for the next few months.

I wake up, take the kids to school and nursery, and go to my first job. After cleaning up the bar, I make my way over to my second job at the city library, and from there I make my way to Tesco's before my day finally ends and I pick up Sophia and make my way home.

But now, there's a change starting to occur in my life. Though I still go through the mind-numbing routine that I've been forced to adopt to support my family for the last two years, the night classes have breathed new life into me.

Or, I suppose I should say, the person who sits next to me during those lessons has breathed new life into me.

Dimitri.

Though we didn't talk too much to begin with, just at the start of the lesson before the teacher arrived, and during the ten minute break; as our comfort with each other grew, so did the length and depth of our conversation. He's slowly bringing me out of my shell, or rather, I'm bringing him out of his shell, and he's building up my confidence. I haven't told him much about myself, just that I have three children, their names and ages, and other basic stuff. I dodged around the more tricky areas of questioning, such as my past between the ages of eighteen to now, and he seemed to pick up on what I was comfortable with answering, and what to leave alone.

He's thirty four – almost thirty five, kind and polite, with a strong sense of humour, though like me, he's quiet most of the time. However, I get the feeling that it's in his personality to enjoy those sorts of long, peaceful silences. With me, it's an instinct, one that I had to learn.

He _always_ wears his duster, the long leather coat that was draped over his arm when I first saw him. And Westerns. He adores the books, though I can honestly say that I don't see the appeal. He doesn't have time to read them anymore during class since we talk whenever the chance arises. But he always has one in his bag.

He helps me with the maths side of the course when I struggle, and in return, I help him with the I.T course, the only time that my working in a library seems to have done anything useful. Funnily enough, we'd both chosen to study French, and so he basically carries me in that subject since I'm terrible at it, and he's the best in the class. Through our short chats I'd found out that he was Russian, which explained the accent that tinted his words, and that he'd moved to England at the age of eighteen in the hopes of earning enough to support him and his family back home.

When he'd mentioned family, my heart had dropped, imagining a beautiful young woman and a few children waiting for him in a picturesque little cottage somewhere in Siberia. But then my hopes had risen when he'd explained further, telling me about his mother, grandmother, three sisters, two nephews and a niece.

It was stupid of me to feel that way. I had no right to be jealous, but sometimes I couldn't help myself. Even though I would never admit it to anyone, I had developed a serious crush on Dimitri Belikov, and it only seemed to be increasing as time went by. But it seemed like he didn't return my romantic feelings. Yes, we talked during every class, and he always appeared genuinely happy to see me… yet, he'd given no indication that he thought of me in any way other than as friends.

So I continued on with my daily routine, and secretly pined for Dimitri late at night, imagining being wrapped up in his strong arms and protected while I slept.

The kids had noticed my change in attitude, and so things at home had improved, without me even knowing there was anything wrong.

Because Alyssa had been able to go to Katrina's party, she had been a lot happier, and she'd informed me a few weeks later that a lot of the teasing had stopped. Her present had been Katrina's favourite, and they were now the best of friends. That knowledge put a smile in my heart, a spring in my step and filled me with pride. My beautiful daughter was able to act her age again and not have to worry about those adult things that had been bogging our family down.

Someone must have been smiling down on me, because I won the top prize in the employees raffle that same week, and so was able to buy Tom's school shoes and get him a new pair of trainers. That had made his year, and so he was proudly walking around school all the time, a smile on his young face.

And Sophia was her normal smiley self. She was happy because I'd bought her a new pair of Winnie the Pooh pyjamas and wanted to wear them _everywhere_.

So because my children were a lot happier, I'd become a lot happier too. Like my drama teacher in sixth form had once said – you're only as happy as your unhappiest child.

So it was no surprise that I arrived at the I.T lesson with a grin threatening to burst from my lips, rather than my customary frown. When I plonked myself down next to Dimitri at the computer station and gave him a chirpy "Hi!" He simply watched me with an amused smile and one eyebrow raised.

"What?" I felt slightly self conscious as he scrutinised every inch of my face before shaking his head. "Do I have a huge paint splatter on my face?"

He laughed out loud. "Paint splatter?"

I shrugged. "Sophia and Tom wanted to finger paint after dinner, and then Tom decided to 'make Alyssa join in so she could have fun'. Which is his excuse for 'I felt like being naughty, and this is the only way I could do it without getting in trouble'. Of course, all three of them had a paint war, and then decided to gang up on mummy. I just about had time to clean up the kitchen and change my clothes before I had to leave. Thank God for baby wipes. Now why were you staring at me before?"

He smiled again before answering. "I was simply wondering what had put you in such a good mood… but you've just answered my question."

"Oh." I felt my cheeks flush slightly as he continued to gaze into my eyes intensely. I felt my breathing start to speed up and dropped his gaze, ducking my head so he couldn't see me bushing like a schoolgirl whose crush just smiled at her.

His fingers found my chin before tilting my face up towards his. My eyes widened in shock… what was he doing? Was he going to kiss me?

"You should smile more often, Roza. You have a beautiful smile." His voice was a whisper as his eyes bored into mine and his thumb lightly traced the outline of my lips. I drew in a jagged breath… and the doors to the classroom burst open as our teacher entered, effectively ruining the mood.

Dimitri blinked and pulled back from me abruptly, shock passing across his face as he glanced at his hand before turning in his seat sharply to face the font of the classroom where the teacher stood.

I couldn't help the hurt that passed across my face before I hid it again, and sighed as I logged onto the computer.

The first half of the lesson passed slowly, and Dimitri didn't talk to me other than in the moments when we had to work with our partners. The rest of the time, we worked in an awkward silence – a first for us - and rather than try to figure out what had just happened, I focussed on my work.

Neither of us said anything as it drew closer to the break, and rather than make him feel obliged to sit and talk to me when he'd made it clear he didn't want to, I used the time to call home and make sure everything was okay.

It took me three tries before Alyssa answered the phone and by then I'd gathered up all of my stuff, ready to run home if I had to, to make sure that they hadn't been kidnapped or killed.

"Hello?"

"Alyssa? Sweetie, are you okay? Are Tom and Sophia alright?"

"Mum! Yeah, they're both fine… everything here's okay. How's class going?"

That immediately set me on edge. She _never_ asked how my lessons were going. "It's good. Why'd it take you so long to answer the phone?"

"Oh, ummm… I didn't hear it go the first two times."

"How did you know it rang twice before if you didn't hear it?"

The silence from the other end of the line lets us both know that she's been caught out.

"And Tom didn't either?"

"No he's gone to bed." Worry starts to build up in my stomach once more as I contemplate whether I should blow my money on a taxi or take the bus home.

And then I hear Tom in the background. "Lissy… It won't stop. There's water all over the floor and I've already put down all the towels…"

"Alyssa Marie Hathaway." She knows from the fact that I'm using her full name that I'm not playing around anymore. "What's happened?"

"The washing machine stopped working. It's gushing out water and the floor's soaked. And…"

"And?"

"And Sophia got to the packet of nappies and ripped them all. There was only one left, and she needed to change the one she was wearing for tonight, so I had to put it on her."

I'm frozen on the spot. _All_ of the nappies. I can't afford to buy anymore until I get paid this Friday. The washing machine now needs replacing – I have no idea how I'll be able to do that. And the floor is probably going to need replacing or drying out, the council won't be able to come out until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest – so long as they have the space for an emergency appointment. Otherwise, I'll have to wait for a week… or longer.

I don't realise that I haven't answered until Alyssa's worried, anxious voice speaks through the phone. "Mum? Mum? Are you still there? Am I in trouble? Say something."

I have to force myself to take a few deep breaths before I can muster up the energy to answer. "No, you're not in trouble. I'm coming home. Right now."

"Okay." Her voice, like mine, is a whisper. And like mine, she sounds as though she's on the verge of tears.

I hang up and grab my bag, rushing out of the classroom just as the break is about to end. But I don't have time to go and explain to Mr. Alto – he hates me enough as it is, and will most likely try to waste as much time as possible before letting me go. If it was Alberta's maths lesson or even Celeste's French one, I'd go and explain to them, but I wouldn't have the time to do it anyway.

"Roza!" Dimitri's voice calls out to me as I reach the doors leading outside, but I don't turn around or stop walking. Instead, I speed up and check the time on my phone. Seven fifteen. If I walk quickly enough, I'll get into town and be able to catch the Seven twenty seven bus.

"Rose!" I hear his heavy footsteps as he runs to catch up to me. _Great._ _Just great._ Now, when I need to get going, he decides that he wants to have a conversation.

Still, I don't answer him until he catches up and falls into step beside me.

"Yes, Dimitri?" I can tell he's taken back by the cold, angry tone of my voice, and though I don't mean to take out my frustration on him, he's the only person around at the moment.

"Where are you going? Class is about to start."

"Home."

"Home?"

"Yes." My voice is curt as I glance at the time on my phone again. Seven eighteen. I'm making good progress, and should make it to the bus stop in time.

I feel the weight of his gaze on the side of my face as we continue walking for a few more minutes before he decides to talk. "Why?"

I stop suddenly, catching him off guard and throw my hands in the air. "Why? Why? Because just when I thought that things were going well for once, they have to crash and burn at my feet. The washing machine's broken, Tom's used all of the towels trying to help, Sophia's wrecked all of her nappies, and I don't have the money to buy her anymore until I get paid on Friday. And earlier, I thought tha-" My chest heaves as I cut myself off from speaking too much, from letting Dimitri know that I thought he was going to kiss me… and just how hurt I am because he didn't. I glance at my phone and swear. "And now none of it matters because it's Seven twenty four and the bus comes in three minutes and I'm nowhere near the bus stop. That's why!" Tears of frustration spring to my eyes and I swipe at them angrily. "That's why Dimitri. Now, just let me get home so I can sort my family out and try to make some sense of everything that's happened." My voice is barely a whisper as I finish speaking, turn and walk away slowly.

* * *

><p>It's worse than I thought.<p>

After waiting twenty minutes for a bus, I get home to find that the kitchen floor is soaked through and that Tom has used _every_ towel in the house in his attempts to help mop up the water. He and Alyssa are changed and ready for bed, which is good, but the fact that he's even used their bath towels too... isn't quite so good. I fight the urge to burst into tears as I call the number for the council, and am met with their answering machine, telling me to leave a message. I leave a message, and then have to fight tears again as Sophia comes up to me while I'm wracking my brain for some way to magically fix everything, and pleasantly informs me that she needed the toilet and couldn't get there fast enough. She now has no dry night nappies left at all and I don't know what to do, short of wrapping her bottom up in a hand towel. And then tears actually leak out of my eyes as I realise that I can't even do that, because all of the towels are currently soaking wet – or rung out and hung over the tops of the doors, over the radiators and over the chair backs in an attempt to dry them by the morning.

After I've cleaned her up and put her in a pair of her underwear, whilst praying to God that she won't need the toilet during the night, I slump onto the sofa wondering what else can _possibly_ go wrong… and the lights flicker off.

Perfect.

I sigh and try to calm the kids as they start to scream in fright at the sudden darkness, while feeling my way along the walls to find the cupboard that holds all of our coats, shoes, cleaning equipment, vacuum cleaner… and the fuse box.

I sigh in relief as Alyssa presses Tom's batman torch into my palm, and I use that to locate the corner that the box is attached to. The light from it is weak, but it's enough to see by, and enables me to flick the correct switch so that the lights come back on.

Immediately, Sophia stops crying, once she sees that it's not dark anymore… only to start again when she sees that she's in the front room alone.

After thanking Alyssa I make my way back into the front room, and scoop Sophia up onto my hip as she sniffles and hides her face in the crook of my neck.

And the doorbell goes.

Casting a confused look at Tom and Alyssa who are standing right next to me, as if they're worried that the lights will go out again, I make my way over to the door and open it.

Shock causes my mouth to drop open as I gawp at the person standing in front of me.

Dimitri.

He smiles meekly at me before lifting his hand to show me the sheets of paper he holds. "You left before Stan gave us the handouts for the lesson. I… ummm… I copied out everything that we'd done onto your username so that you don't fall behind, and you can check up on it later and see what we… did…" He trails off, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably.

I'm still staring at him wide-eyed, in shock that he's come to my flat.

He swallows nervously before speaking again. "And I thought that since your washing machine needed fixing, maybe I could help…" He lifts up his other hand and I see that he's holding a toolbox in it.

I can't do anything but nod; still in shock that Dimitri's here, at my front door, offering to help me with something other than schoolwork.

I step back, and he smiles in relief before stepping through the door and closing it behind him.

Sophia stirs in my arms, intrigued by the sound of a new voice. But she doesn't peek at Dimitri. Instead her trembling voice calls me. "Mummy."

My eyes shift from Dimitri to the top of her head which is still resting on my shoulder. "Yes, baby?"

"I need to change my knickers."

And that's when I notice the warm patch that's been spreading across my t-shirt from where she's wet herself in fright.

I don't know what to do. My embarrassed eyes flicker in the direction where Dimitri's standing, to see him waiting patiently for me, though it's obvious that he's heard what she said.

And I burst into tears.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what do you think about this turn of events with Dimitri turning up at the house?<strong>** Please let me know what you thought! xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**I am absolutely speechless with awe and gratitude. Thank you so much for all of the amazing reviews and positive feedback that I've received for this story so far!**** I didn't expect it to be so popular, but the response has been absolutely brilliant and it's put such a huge smile on my face. Thank you!**

**() – here's the next chapter!**

**Disha – don't worry, things start looking up!**

**Lucy – thank you so much!**

**Badbadgurl – I'm glad that it was a good second chapter and met the standard you were expecting :)**

**Yolonda – thank you, and here you go!**

**Jezz – thank you so much! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!**

**One more thing before we get onto chapter three, could you please take a minute when you get the chance to check out the story 'The life and times of Rose Hathaway' by shadowkissed586. It looks to be a promising story with a good start, but unfortunately she's not got very many reviews at the moment. :'(**

**This has been my favourite chapter to write so far, so I hope you'll enjoy it just as much. :) If I get a lot of revision and writing done over the weekend, I'll update on Tuesday and Friday next week, so fingers crossed!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three.<strong>

Dimitri is my hero.

A lifesaver and guardian angel and a hero all in one.

After I burst into tears, he snapped into action, and made sure that everything ran smoothly. While I stand there with tears streaming down my cheeks, he asks Alyssa and Tom to 'go into the front room and watch television while he helps mummy calm down'. Then he put down my papers and the toolbox, took my hand and led me away from the front room.

By now, my tears are under control, and I'm able to answer when he asks me where the bathroom is.

He leads me in there and gets me to sit on the edge of the tub before taking Sophia from my arms and placing her in the bath.

His hand tilts my chin up to face his, like earlier in class, and a few more tears slip from the corner of my eyes. He wipes them away with the broad pads of his thumbs before he leans in and kisses my forehead. Then he pulls back to gaze into my eyes. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Roza; I just need to get something from my car. Will you be ok to wash her over?"

I nod, even though my bottom lip trembles and he smiles at me, a smile that takes my breath away and fills me with hope.

"I'll be back in a moment."

He leaves the bathroom and I set about cleaning Sophia off. After filling the bath with warm water and plenty of bubble bath, I help her to strip off her clothes and wash her over from head to toe as she plays with the bath toys and I wait for Dimitri to return.

A few minutes later, his head pops round the door and he holds out a small, white fluffy towel for me, along with a pack of nappies. "I didn't think that it would be very polite of me to go rummaging around in your room for her clothes, so I'll just... do something until you're done." He smiles at me and waves at Sophia who's laughing at all of the foam and bubbles before his face disappears from view.

I let Sophia splash around for a few more minutes before I decide that we've spent more than enough time in the bathroom, and pull the plug out of the bath before standing her up so that I can rinse her off with the shower. Then I wrap her up in the fluffy towel, take a nappy out of the pack that Dimitri gave to me, and carry her into the bedroom so that I can get her dressed into her pyjamas.

Once she's done, I wipe at my puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks with a baby wipe, and contemplate dabbing on a bit of cover up and foundation in an attempt to fool Dimitri into thinking that I wasn't bawling my eyes out twenty minutes ago. But I doubt it'll make any difference, and since he's already seen me covered in paint, glue, felt tip pen, in bad moods, good moods, and tonight, in a pee-stained shirt, I doubt the evidence that I've been crying will send him running for the hills. Especially when he saw me cry.

It's close to nine o'clock, long past Sophia's bedtime, so I tuck her into her bed, kiss her forehead and switch on her nightlight. Her eyes are already drooping, so I don't need to read her a bedtime story, and am able to switch off the main light and go into the bathroom to wash myself. Once I've showered and dressed in fresh clothes, I make my way through the flat.

I'm about to go into the front room, but a strange rustling that flows from the direction of the kitchen piques my curiosity, so I simply poke my head around the door, smiling at the sight of Tom and Alyssa curled up on the sofa together watching the Kids Next Door cartoon on the television.

"Bed time guys."

Their weary eyes look over to me, and without any fuss, they stand up ready to head to bed. Alyssa hugs me first, and I kiss her top of her head before hugging her once more. "I'm really proud of you tonight. Although you should have called me straight away, you handled the situation extremely maturely."

She nods, too tired to answer and simply hugs me again before heading towards the bedroom where Sophia's already asleep.

Then Tom barrels into my arms and wraps his arms around my neck tightly, as if he's trying to squeeze the life out of me.

I wrap my arms around him and lift him up into the air, holding him to my body securely before kissing his soft cheek. "Do you want me to read you a bedtime story?"

He thinks about it for a moment before shaking his head and hugging me tighter. "But I'm too sleepy to even walk."

I laugh as I get the hint and carry him through to the bedroom where Alyssa's already in her bed and Sophia is fast asleep. I pull back the covers before laying him down and kissing his forehead gently. "Did you guys brush your teeth?"

"Yes mummy."

"Mhmm..." Is all I get in terms of a confirmation from Alyssa, and so, for tonight, I don't push it.

"Sleep tight, and sweet dreams." I let my gaze trail over all three of them one last time before I smile and step out of the room.

I make my way to the kitchen, noticing that the toolbox has disappeared, and wonder idly if Dimitri's really here, or if it's simply my mind hallucinating. The stress of the evening has to have caused one of my fantasies to mix with real life. There's no way that Dimitri is actually here, in my tiny flat, fixing my washing machine. I _must_ be dreaming.

I'm not.

Dimitri is in the kitchen, despite the floor covered in towels, with his back to me. A clinking sound, the open toolbox and the fact that he's knelt in front of the washing machine indicates that he's actually doing what he said he'd do, but that isn't what catches my eye.

The multiple plastic bags that are filled to the brim and covering every table top in my tiny kitchen do.

I must make some sort of choked, shocked noise, because Dimitri spins to face me, surprise covering his features, until he sees that it's just me stood in the doorway and he relaxes once more.

"I didn't hear you come in."

"I- I- what's all this?" I gesture wildly to the bags cluttering up my space.

He smiles widely at my dumbfounded expression before gesturing me over towards him.

I hesitate for a moment, and this time he holds his hand out towards me - an open, heartfelt invitation - and so I step forwards gingerly, making sure my slippered feet always land on the towels, until I'm within reaching distance, and place my hand in his.

He pulls me closer, so that there are only a few centimetres of space between our bodies before tenderly tucking a strand of my long, dark hair behind my ear. "Take a look." The whisper is seductive and tantalising, and I don't even realise that I'm moving until I'm stood in front of the table.

Dimitri's moved with me – he has to since I'm still holding onto his hand - and doesn't say anything as my free hand reaches forward to pull at the edge of the bag that's closest to me.

"Oh!" I gasp, and my startled eyes rise to meet Dimitri's. He looks slightly nervous and unsure at my reaction.

"Just- just finish looking before you say anything."

I nod, and he squeezes my hand once before letting go. My eyes flicker down to stare at my abandoned hand, the hand that didn't want to ever release his and lose the feeling of warmth and security that his large fingers offered.

"Roza." My eyes move up to meet his. "It's okay, take your time."

I nod once more, and turn back towards the bags. The first five or six are full of food shopping, but it's the contents of the next few that cause tears to rush to my eyes once more. In two super sized bags are several towels, all brand new and fluffy – like the one he gave me for Sophia – in an arrangement of different sizes and colours. There are hand towels, tea towels and bath towels… though those are the only three that I can name.

In the next bag there are another two packets of the dry night nappies that Sophia wears, and in the one after that a few random items – hair accessories, colouring books, board games and a few other things that I can't identify.

"I got a bit carried away once I started – sorry."

My voice is a sad whisper. "I can't take this." I'm staring at the bags, a dumbfounded expression covering my face.

"Why not?" I can hear the confusion in his voice.

"I- I just _can't_. There's got to be around three hundred pounds worth of stuff here. I can't take that from you."

"Roza." His voice is gentle, but I don't look at him. "I know that it's... awkward and embarrassing taking things from other people – believe me, I've had to do it before so I know what it's like. But, I want you to have this. I want to help."

"But- but- it's too much. I can't afford to pay you back." My voice is a whisper, a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

"You don't need to pay me back."

"But-"

"No." His gentle yet firm whisper that's filled with honesty causes tears to rush to my eyes.

I spin to face Dimitri and immediately wrap my arms around his middle as tightly as I possibly can in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you." My voice is thick with tears, and I feel as he stiffens in shock at my action. But after a few seconds, his posture relaxes and he wraps his arms around my waist, hugging me to his body just as tightly.

"You're welcome Roza."

A few tears of gratitude leak out of my eyes, and I tilt my head back to look up at him. "Why- why did you do this? Buy all of this when- when you didn't have to." My voice is quiet and trembles, like I'm not quite done crying yet.

He gazes back down into my eyes for a moment, before one of his hands lifts to stroke across my jaw line and up across my cheek ever so softly. "Because…" He swallowed, and I held my breath in anticipation of what he was going to say. When he still didn't answer, my eyes squeezed shut, ready for the rejection that was sure to flow off of his lips – that he did it out of pity. I felt him take a deep breath. "Because I care about you."

My eyes snapped open to stare into his. "You care about me? Like, like a sister? Because I'm only a year older than Viktoria?"

A wry smile came across his face as he shook his head. "No."

"Then- then... how do you- what do you-" I couldn't get my words out, I was so confused. He couldn't mean as in he had romantic feelings for me, did he?

His finger on my lips stopped me from blurting out half sentences. "I care about you, as in, I want to… to be with you, Rose… and to care for you and be there for you and your kids. To treat you right - like the beautiful queen you really are."

"You think I'm beautiful?"

He nodded. "Breathtakingly beautiful. You're devastating."

"But I'm fat. And saggy. And-"

He placed his finger over my lips once again and shook his head. "You're perfect."

My eyes widened and a giggle escaped my mouth.

"What?" His voice held a lot of confusion and alarm, probably at the fact that my eyes had been filled with tears a few seconds ago, and I was now bursting into laughter.

"You."

"What about me?"

I laugh again, a genuine chuckle. "I didn't realise before... but you're actually crazy. Or blind. Or deluded. Take your pick."

"How am I crazy, blind or deluded?"

I pressed my face against his chest again, loving the feel of his strong, defined muscles against my cheek, and the steady constant pump of his heart. "You think that I'm perfect. Yup, you're definitely crazy. Me – perfect." I giggle again. "With my saggy-baggy body."

"You are. You're beautiful."

I snorted and looked up at him, already missing the warmth against my face. "I think you've been staring at the computer screen for too long. You need to rest your eyes, and then when they're relaxed come and take a second look."

He stared down at me as though I was crazy, before tugging on my hand. "Come on." He pulled me out of the kitchen and started heading through the flat.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To the bathroom."

"The bathroom?"

"The bathroom." He nods and pulls me inside once we get there.

"Why?"

"So that you can see what I see when I look at you." His hands took a hold of my shoulders and spun me until I was facing the mirror. "Now I know this only shows up to your hips, but that's all we need. Close your eyes, then open them and tell me what you see."

I did as he said. "I see me."

"Good. Now keep going."

"I'm a twenty eight year old woman." I paused to take in my reflection fully. "The years and the strain of having three children has definitely taken its toll on me, as seen by the baggy top that's worn to cover my stretch marks and saggy tummy, and all the wrink-"

His voice is stern as he interrupts me. "That is not what I meant Rose! Start again."

"Fine. I'm me."

He nodded and gestured for me to continue.

"I've managed to keep the slim build I had in sixth form, but now I have bingo wings and my body's gone to pot. There's no way in hell that this body will ever be seen in a bikini - or even a tankini and sarong - ever again, unless I had a tummy tuck and had the cellulite removed and-"

"Rose." His voice held a tinge of exasperation.

I sighed and stood up straight, "Fine. I like my hair though. I'm glad the raging hormones from my pregnancies didn't cause it to thin, lose its texture or even fall out like it does to some women."

He smiled. "That's one of my favourite things too."

My eyes met Dimitri's in the mirror. "You like my hair?"

He nodded, and ran his fingers through it softly. The movement, though innocent, felt so intimate and caring that I couldn't help the hitch in my breathing. "What's not to like about it. It's thick and dark and long. And in different lights, it seems to hold a thousand different colours. It gives you a million different personas – beautiful, sexy, shy, open, reserved, motherly, youthful, exotic, the list is endless. Whenever you move your head, it swings like a waterfall... and it frames your face beautifully, as well as looking silky and strong, even when you have it up."

He ran his fingers down the side of my shoulder before continuing to speak.

"But that's not all that I like about you Roza - all I care about you for." His voice was gentle as he placed his hands on my shoulders once again and turned me so that I was facing him this time. "You're strong, independent, and fierce. You care for your children with your whole heart and soul, and you give everything you have for them and to them. I love that nurturing, loyal, _amazing_ side to you. I love your confidence-"

"I'm not confident."

"You _are_. It's been silenced, and it's barely there – but it _is_ there, simmering under the surface. I see it there sometimes, and on rare occasions, you actually show it."

"You really see all that?"

"I really do." His hand trailed back up my arm to cup my face gently before he whispered. "And you should too."

Our eyes locked, and his thumb brushed across my cheek, by the corner of my mouth.

I swallowed heavily, and saw as Dimitri's gaze flickered down to my throat before dragging up to rest on my lips, and then my eyes at a painfully slow pace.

My gaze flickered down to rest on his lips, suddenly wanting nothing more than for him to lean forward and kiss me. To be able to mould my lips against his, and taste him, and twine my fingers into his silky hair…

"Roza."

My eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Yes?"

"I-" His eyes spoke the words that his mouth couldn't say. The normally warm chocolate brown had darkened with an emotion that I hadn't seen in a man's eyes when he looked at me, for at least six years.

Lust.

Hunger.

Longing.

Want.

He swallowed nervously, and I felt as his hands slid down my sides lightly to hold my waist and pull me forwards slightly. "You're beautiful, inside and out."

And then I did something that shocked both of us.

I made the first move.

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's mean, and I'm sorry, but this was the only place I could stop it without the chapter becoming too long and overfilled. Like I said, if I get lots of revision done over the weekend, I'll update on Tuesday and Friday. <strong>

**What do you guys think is going to happen? Will Dimitri reject Rose or pull her closer? xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hehe, this chapter made me laugh and awww and want to cry at different times, so I hope you'll have a similar reaction!**

**I've just finished chapter 5 and have started chapter 6, so the next update will be on Friday as promised. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter too!**

**Quite a few people have asked me about whether Adrian will be in the story, whether Rose will meet up with Lissa & Co again, and about Roses timeline. I think her timeline is explained in this chapter and there's a bit more of an explanation in the next one, but if you still have questions, feel free to PM me or leave your comment/question in your review and I'll get back to you asap. I can tell you that Adrian and the others are going to be a part of this story, but not for a few chapters. Don't worry – they'll be bring plenty of drama with them! ;)**

**Peggy – thank you for reviewing and I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Yolonda – You're very welcome! :) And yes, Adrian will be coming into play in a few chapters time – I hope you'll enjoy what happens!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four.<strong>

Still gazing into his eyes to make sure I didn't go too far or too fast, I placed my hands onto his shoulders lightly, and moved my body closer to his. His hands gripped me slightly tighter, and he dipped his head as I pushed up onto my tiptoes.

My breath caught as our heads tilted ever so slightly, and our lips brushed against each others. It was the slightest touch, but electricity flowed through to every part of my body from that minimal contact.

I pulled back nervously, to gauge Dimitri's reaction. His eyes were closed, but when they opened I could tell that I'd done the right thing. Smiling gently, he leant forwards to press his lips to mine once more, and again, and again, and again. They were little pecks, but they sent thrills and tingles to the tips of my toes. I allowed my arms to slide up and wrap around his neck securely, as his wrapped around my waist to pull my body against his firmly.

This time, when our lips met, we didn't break apart. Instead, our mouths moved in sync as his fingers twined into my ends of my hair, and I allowed my body to press right up against his and adjust to the feelings that were flooding through me.

He moaned low in his throat, a sound that made my insides squirm in pleasure and anticipation, before he shifted and pressed forwards so that I had to step back. Once my back bumped the mirror, my arms tightened around his neck, sending an unspoken message that only our bodies seemed to understand. His arms enveloped my waist once more, before he straightened up, lifting me into the air and allowing my back to rest against the wall for support. I groaned this time, a sound that was a mixture of desire and pent up frustration, before lifting my legs so that they could wrap around his waist, effectively chaining us together.

That movement elicited another sound of satisfaction from deep in Dimitri's chest, and he broke our heated kiss to gasp out my name. "Roza..." The word trailed off into another moan of appreciation as I curled my fingers into the roots of his hair and tugged his face back to mine fiercely. One of his hands slid down my back to support my bottom and prevent me from slipping down his body like it was a pole. A muscled, passionate, sexy pole at that. Our kissing resumed, but it was even more heated – if that was possible.

Dimitri had overwhelmed all of my senses. All I could see, hear, touch, smell or taste was him. His warm, chocolate brown eyes. The sound of his ragged breathing and the lusty moans that slipped from his mouth. His firm defined muscles that rippled under my touch as I traced his back through his shirt. The crisp, clean scent of his aftershave that soothed my frayed nerves. And the warm, sweet taste of his mouth as he kissed me so tenderly, yet passionately at the same time. The comfort and yearning that rose in me as our tongues touched and traced the contours of each others mouths...

"Mum-my?" The confused and shocked gasp snapped me into reality, and had the same effect that having a bucket of ice cold water thrown over us would have had.

We broke apart, breathing heavily, to stare at the person who had woken up and come across our heated kissing session.

Tom was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, wide-eyed as he took in the scene before him.

Heat flushed my cheeks as I realised just what he must have been seeing. Me, his mummy, wrapped around a strange man he didn't know, moaning and groaning like a cat in heat.

"What were you doing?"

"I was… we were…" I didn't know how to explain it to my five year old son.

"Were you _kissing_?" He spoke it like a dirty word. He was still at the stage where girls had cooties, and boys would never, ever willingly touch them, let alone kiss them.

"What are you doing out of bed?"

"Don't change the subject. Were you kissing?" He frowned at me like I was a misbehaving child and he was the parent. When I didn't answer, he sighed angrily. "You!" He marched over to Dimitri and craned his head back so he could glare up at him. "Why were you kissing my mummy?"

Dimitri looked at me helplessly.

I shrugged and mouthed 'can't help you there', before I giggled. This situation was too bizarre to even comprehend.

"It's not funny!" Tom slapped my leg, well tried to. I was still held up in Dimitri's arms, since we'd been too shocked to move from our compromising position, and so was too high for Tom to reach. He glared at Dimitri again. "Put my mummy down right now!"

Hesitantly, Dimitri took a step back and loosened his grip around my waist. I unhooked my legs, and felt as he slowly lowered me to the ground, until I was supporting my own weight.

The blush on my cheeks was starting to ease off. "Is that better?"

Tom's glare was locked on my arms. Once I released Dimitri from my hold completely, his face relaxed, ever so slightly.

He glanced between Dimitri and I a few times, a thoughtful frown covering his features. I snuck a peek at Dimitri from the corner of my eye, to see a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, despite the nervous expression covering his face. I could tell that even with Tom only reaching to just above his knees, he was intimidated... and amused at the same time. I guess neither of us was expecting my children to be so protective.

"Do you like my mummy?"

The question caught Dimitri off-guard, and my eyes flickered to Tom's small form before returning to Dimitri's to see his reaction.

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, before turning back to face Tom. "I do."

"How much?"

"Very, very much."

"Even though she has cooties?"

The amusement was clear to hear in Dimitri's voice. "I thought mummies didn't have cooties?"

A bright grin flashed up on Tom's face as he answered enthusiastically. "That's right!" Then he coughed, looking embarrassed, before continuing in a slightly more subdued, businesslike tone. "Not many people know that information."

Dimitri nodded seriously, "They just don't know the rules for staying healthy anymore."

Tom smiled. "That's good. You know some of the rules. That makes you two _kissing_, not so bad. Now... if you have a red pen and a blue pen, and if you had to draw a picture of my mummy for my mummy, and you have to colour in her... top - I'd say dress but she never wears them because she says that her legs look like two beached whales-"

"Tom!" I hissed, feeling my cheeks flush once again.

"What?" He protested innocently. "You do!"

"I do not."

"You do too!"

"I _might_ say tha-"

"You _do_."

"_But_, it does not mean that you go around, saying those sorts of things in front of other people."

"But you were kissing him!"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It just does."

"Why does it?"

"It just does!"

Dimitri's chuckle interrupted the glaring match and argument that was building between me and Tom. "Tom?"

He stopped glaring at me to look at Dimitri instead. "Yes?"

"I don't think that your mummy's legs look like two beached whales, but I do think that she should wear a dress sometime." I snorted and rolled my eyes. "However, if I had to colour in the picture it would depend on what your mummy's doing."

"She's doing the gardening."

"Then blue with a red flower."

"What if... she's going to a party."

"Red to show off her beautiful skin tone, with blue butterflies all around the bottom."

Tom nodded. "And if she's playing 'lazy day on the sofa watching TV with the kids'?"

"That's a tough one. I'd have to say... red and blue spots on a white t-shirt."

Tom gazed up at him for a long moment before answering. "You passed that test. Now..."

I interrupted. "Now bed." I stepped forwards and scooped him up into my arms.

"But... but I haven't had the chance to see how good he is at playing Hot Wheels!" His voice was a sad little whine as he struggled to get out of my arms. "I need to make sure he's good enough for you!"

"No, you just want an excuse to stay up and play with your toys."

He pouted and rested his head against my shoulder before muttering, "Yeah, but the Hot Wheels part is important too."

I kissed the top of his head before walking out of the bathroom and towards the bedroom. "I know sweetie. Maybe another day."

Once we got back to the bedroom I tucked him into his bed once more and brushed some of the hair out of his eyes. "Get some sleep, you've got school in the morning."

"Night mummy."

"Night Tom. Sleep tight."

"And don't let the bed bugs bite." He giggled and yawned, before closing his eyes and snuggling deeper into his covers. I smiled and switched off the nightlight before checking on Sophia and walking out of the room to join Dimitri who was waiting in the hallway.

He smiled down at me as I smiled up at him, before motioning for him to follow me to the front room. I started to walk away, but stopped when I felt his large hand take hold of mine. I glanced down and grinned before looking up at him coyly, and squeezed just as gently, before continuing on to the front room.

* * *

><p>Somehow we end up curled on the sofa together. Dimitri's sat at one end, his long, long legs stretched out across the rest of the seats, as I sit perched in his lap, leaning against his chest as his arms wrap around me. It feels like a dream, something that's too good to be true.<p>

One of his hands traces up and along my spine, before twining into my hair as I sigh happily, and rest my head against his shoulder, breathing in deeply to imprint the sharp, clean scent of his aftershave into my mind. It's crisp, yet warm and homey at the same time, and comforts me, surrounding me an atmosphere of tranquillity and calm.

Even though I don't want to speak, to break the delicate mood that's been created, I know I have to. "You were really good with Tom earlier. Thank you, for not getting offended when he started acting he was fifty rather than five."

My body shook slightly as Dimitri's chest rumbled and he chuckled. "It's no problem Roza. I would have been worried if he hadn't reacted at all. It's nice that despite you being the mummy, he's still looking out for you and protecting you." He smiled sadly. "He reminds me of me when I was younger."

I looked up into his eyes before tracing the frown lines that had formed on his forehead. "Did something really bad happen to you?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Not to me, but to my mother."

"Oh." I paused before speaking, wondering if it was a touchy subject and best to leave it alone. "Did she- did she die... when you were little?"

"No, no, nothing like that. She's still alive and well, living happily back home in Baia with the rest of my family." He tilted my head up and pressed his lips to mine in a tender, affectionate kiss. "But thank you for asking, for being so caring and considerate."

I laughed, "Oh yeah, I forgot that you told me about her and the rest of your family." I bit my lip before continuing. I'd been hesitant to tell Dimitri things about my past, so I didn't want to force him to divulge all of his secrets. "Did she have a lot of boyfriends that… treated her badly?"

"Not exactly." He frowned, and I watched as his eyes grew distant, lost in a memory from a time I didn't know about. "She had one – mine and my sisters' father. But he treated her badly."

I stroked his cheek gently. "I'm sorry."

"She took all of the beatings, the angry rages and the cruel words in silence, because she loved him." I flinched at the memories his words brought up, and he must have noticed because his voice was softer when he continued. "She took it all because she was in love, and I think that even now, she still loves him to a certain extent."

"She didn't do anything to stop him?"

He shook his head, but a mischievous glint shone in his eyes. "She didn't – but I did." Even though anger laced his words, I could hear the sorrow in his voice.

"What happened?"

"I- I beat him up."

"You beat him up?" My voice sounded shocked. "How old were you?"

"Thirteen."

"_Thirteen?_"

He nodded. "I went through my growth spurt earlier than most of the other kids, so I was almost as tall as he was. And I liked sports, so I was always in the gym training - I was stronger than he was. I just, I came home one day after practice, and I heard him yelling at her upstairs. Yelling, and then something smashed. Karolina and Sonya were out, and I didn't know where my grandmother was. But Viktoria was alone downstairs, crying in the corner of the living room. Normally I'd have taken her out to the park or to the library – anywhere, so long as it meant that she didn't have to witness what was happening, and then I'd have brought her home when I thought everything had quietened down." He paused for a second and swallowed, almost like the words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't get them out. "But then I heard something else smash, and then there was this awful thump, right over my head, like someone had fallen. Everything flew out of my head then, all I could think about was making sure that my mother was alright, that he hadn't knocked her out or even killed her. I- I ran upstairs, and I found him leaning over her, yanking her up by her hair as he yelled in her face about how worthless she was, and that she was only good as a casual fuck, and that she shouldn't even be alive." He took a deep shuddering breath and buried his face in my hair. "That was the first time I heard my mum cry, Rose, and it broke my heart. I went crazy, literally. I don't even remember much of what happened; except that I was so angry and I wanted him to feel all of the pain he'd ever put my mother through. I only stopped when I felt my grandmother pulling me off of him – I had my hands around his throat, and she didn't want me to go to prison for killing him." He paused again, and the anger that laced his voice was gone. "I was so angry… if she hadn't stopped me, I probably would have done it. I just couldn't bear to see it happen anymore. I just _couldn't_."

We sat there in silence as he composed himself, and I simply ran my hands through his hair, allowing him the time to calm down and talk again when he was ready.

When he didn't say anything, I decided to start the conversation. He'd revealed such a huge part of himself to me; it was only fair that I do the same.

"I know that you probably won't want to hear it, but I understand where your mum's coming from, and why she did what she did." I paused nervously, and his head shot up so that he could look me in the eye.

"You had the same thing happen to you?"

I nodded and took a deep breath. "I was born and bred in Glasgow, and I met Adrian Ivashkov in secondary school. We were friends until we were fifteen, and then we started going out. I was smitten, and I thought he was too. We went to the same sixth form college, and while I studied to go to university and become a biology teacher, he liked to go out and party, claiming that he had his master plan for the future – for our future. And he did, and he achieved what he set out to achieve. But I didn't. Instead, I ended up pregnant at the ripe old age of seventeen. I didn't know what to do – whether to keep the baby, or to have an abortion. I talked it through with my best friend Lissa, and realised that I couldn't go through with an abortion, or to give up my baby for adoption. So I told Adrian and I told my parents. He was ecstatic, they were furious. They threatened to disown me, to kick me out, to take my baby and give it to a foster family unless I had an abortion, but I believed that Adrian would take care of us, and so I packed my bags and moved in with him. Lissa supported and helped me as best as she could, but once exams started we all had to focus on ourselves. I passed my exams with the grades that I needed, but had to turn down my university place. I was nearly seven months pregnant - there was no way for me to have a baby and go to university. So Adrian went to university and I followed him, all the way down here to Leicester. I gave up my family and friends, and to a certain extent my freedom, so that our baby could have their father in their life. He proposed, and I accepted, finally believing that I was about to have my happily ever after with the man of my dreams. Two months later Alyssa Marie Ivashkov was born, named after her auntie and Godmother - Lissa."

"But it didn't work out?" Dimitri's voice was soft and cautious.

"No." My voice was a whisper. "At first, everything was fine. I stayed in student halls with Adrian, in one of the studio flats, and we planned our future together. We got married that Christmas, in a little church with all of his university friends as guests. Lissa couldn't get over in time since she was studying in America for a year, and I hadn't spoken to my family since I'd told them I was pregnant. But Adrian convinced me that it didn't matter, and I got over my heartache. He gained his degree in business, and applied for a job which he got almost instantly. And then a year later, he packed that in and opened a bar with his friend. It didn't start off too well, and we started to argue. Money was tight, and he wanted to spend it all on the bar, rather than on our family. We- we argued one night when he came home drunk… and he hit me. It was only a slap, but it was worlds away from the kind considerate husband I'd known. He apologised repeatedly over the next few weeks, until I finally gave in and forgave him. And then I found out that I was pregnant again. I foolishly believed that another baby would make everything right between us. The bar took off, and things seemed to be getting better. We moved out of the flat and into a five bed roomed house – for all of the other children we'd have - but we continued to argue. He didn't hit me, but there were times when he came close. He'd come home drunk, and I'd ask why he was so late, why he wasn't home when he said he would be so that he could take Alyssa to the park. Then he'd get angry and scream in my face, making me believe it was my entire fault. I blamed the arguments on my fluctuating hormones because of the pregnancy. And once I had Tom Adrian Ivashkov, I thought things would go back to normal once more."

Dimitri wiped away a tear that I hadn't even realised had fallen. "It's okay Roza. You don't have to continue."

"It's okay, you deserve to know." I took another deep breath and continued. "But they didn't. Well, for the first few months they did. Adrian was besotted with his son, but he started to neglect Alyssa. Everything revolved around Tom, and I tried to make him see that he needed to show his daughter that she was loved just as much. That was the first time he hit me, for daring to tell him how he should act. I had a black eye and stayed indoors until it went away. He begged me for forgiveness once again, and like an idiot, I granted him that forgiveness. And then a few weeks later, he came home drunk, and it happened again. And again. And again. And I stupidly, kept forgiving him because I kept believing that it was all my fault, and that I caused his moods. Until one time, I went out to pick Alyssa up from school and Tom from nursery. Tom was close to two years old, and Alyssa was nearly seven. I'd been feeling sick for a few days, but pegged it as a cold or flu since it was December. When I came home, the house was silent. I put tom in his playpen, and let Alyssa go and play with her friends across the street, not knowing what was going to happen. I threw up, and Adrian woke up at the noise. I thought he was going to help me, but as soon as I stood up, he knocked me back down again. He was furious with me, and made sure I knew it. At some point, he hit me so hard that I knocked my head against the sink, and I blacked out. I woke up to see Alyssa's tear stained face over mine, begging me to wake up. She'd come back and Adrian had gone out, leaving her to look after herself and Tom while I laid there, unconscious in the bathroom. I tried to clean myself up, packed some of our stuff and we left. I had to go to the hospital and they kept me in overnight. The next day, I was ready to head on a coach or a train, just to get the kids as far away as possible before something worse happened. But Adrian found us and took us back. There was no apology this time, just a threat. That if I told anyone, the kids were as good as dead. So I stayed, to ensure their safety. Adrian had a lot of contacts, and I wasn't going to risk my children's lives. A few weeks after that, I found out I was pregnant once again, with Sophia Abrianna Ivashkov. And two days after she was born, Adrian filed for divorce."

"Did they side with you?"

I laughed bitterly and shook my head. "He cited irreconcilable differences – that I was a fat, ugly slob who expected him to do all of the hard work while I lazed around and had kids with 'unknown others'. He later told me that he hadn't been attracted to me since before Tom was born, but apparently I was a cheap slut who was always ready to please and offer my 'services'." My breathing hitched as a sob broke out of my chest. "I hadn't ever done anything against him, and he treated me like I was a piece of trash. I was always faithful to him, and then I found out that he'd been cheating on me since Alyssa was around two years old with one of the bimbo sluts on his business course. The courts gave him everything he wanted, and I only got sole custody of the kids because he didn't want them. His own children - and he couldn't even stand to look after them until I found somewhere to stay. He had the house – he wouldn't have even had to see them if he didn't want to."

Another sob broke free and I felt as Dimitri's arms tightened around my waist, as he cuddled me into his chest. "Shhhh Roza, it's okay. You've moved on and he can't hurt you anymore. You've done brilliantly on your own and provided for your children."

Another bitter laugh escaped my lips, along with a few tears from my eyes. "No, no I haven't. They'd be better off in care."

I felt as he shook his head. "That's not tr-"

"Yes it is Dimitri. At least in care they'd all have their own room. They wouldn't be teased at school for the fact that they don't get new clothes every few weeks, or for the fact that they can't do half of the things that the other kids can. They wouldn't be stuck living in a crappy one bedroom flat. I work three shitty, minimum wage jobs, and yet I'm struggling to even afford to pay the electricity bill half of the time! How's that doing brilliantly?"

He was silent and I started to cry harder, ready for him to push me out of his arms in disgust.

"Oh Roza." I felt him press a kiss to the crown of my head. "I'm so sorry. I hate that he did that to you. I hate that he hurt you and the kids. But don't ever say that they'd be better off without you."

I sniffled into his chest, relishing the feeling of security and comfort. "It's true. And it's something that I've come to turns with. I just know that I have to carry on and try my hardest for my kids, so that they don't make the same mistakes that I did."

He nodded and tilted my face up to face his. "It's _not_ true Roza. You've worked incredibly hard to put a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their stomachs. Sure, in care they might have their own rooms, but they'd also be split up and alone, without each other or you. You're incredibly strong willed and resilient, and as we saw with Tom earlier, you've passed that on to them. You're an incredible role model for them Roza, and they'll make mistakes, but they know that they'll always have your care and support no matter what. I understand that what Adrian did and said has to have left its mark, both physically and mentally, but you've risen up above it and proved him wrong."

The steady rumble of his chest as he spoke, and the steady rhythm of his fingers trailing through my hair calmed me down, and made the trail of tears slow.

"Sometimes, I think that I have. But then I come back here, and I see what my kids have to come back to, and it hits me all over again. I just want what's best for them, to give them what all the other kids have."

"But you have. And you've probably given them more. The fact that you don't give up, and that you love them for them, no matter what their faults and shortcomings are, is much more than most of the other children get. You told me once about that Camilla woman- and how cold she is. I bet that even though her kids have everything they could ever want, materialistically speaking, they're lacking what they need to grow and develop into humble, hardworking, genuine young people. And the hardships that you've been through will enable your children to develop into the best type of people they could be, and to bring up their children in the same way."

Looking into his deep brown eyes as he spoke, I believed every word that came out of his mouth. I sighed. "I hope so."

He nodded and smiled at me. "I know so."

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes, and I felt my own smile tugging at the corner of my lips.

"And how do you know that?"

His fingers twined into my hair to gently pull my head in towards his. "I just do. I'm magic."

"Mmmm." Our lips touched once more and I lost all of my coherent thoughts. It was heaven. Pure pleasure wrapped up in a spine tingling, body warming kiss. When we finally broke apart I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. "Your kisses are magic." Then my mind caught up to what I was saying and I ducked my head to hide the mortified expression on my face.

He chuckled once again, but this time didn't tilt my face up. Instead, he swept the hair that had fallen across my face over my shoulder and whispered into my ear. "I think your kisses are magic too."

I giggled and met his gaze. "Then we're both in luck."

* * *

><p><strong>Like I said at the start, I'll be updating the next chapter on Friday. Please share your thoughts on the chapter! xx<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry to say, but I won't be updating twice a week again, at least not until after my exams. My last one is on the 24****th**** June, and then my birthday is the day after, but once that's all over I'll be free to write all day everyday, so if this story isn't finished by then, I'll update as often as possible! So for now, I'm going back to my routine of updating on a Friday.**

**JaSpErAnDeEmMeTtLoVeR – thank you for the review! You don't allow PM's so I couldn't reply back to your review, but I'm really glad you're enjoying the story!**

**Badbadgurl – hope you enjoy it!**

**Yolonda – you're very welcome sweetie! And so long as you review, I'll always reply :) And thank you very much! I'm glad that you enjoy the story and my writing so much! xx**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five.<strong>

We kissed for a little while longer, both enjoying the moment of peace and comfort around each other.

Somehow, we ended up laid on the sofa; my small body laid on top of Dimitri's long, leonine one. Like when we kissed, we seemed to just… fit. To mould against each other perfectly, like we were made for each other. We kissed each other, our lips moving against each other's even more passionately than before.

His hands were holding my waist, and cautiously I trailed my fingers down the sides of his face and across his shoulders. They were so firm and defined, clear physical evidence that he put effort into his appearance and body shape.

They trailed down to the hem of his shirt, and as I let my fingers curl at the hem, he paused. It was slight, but enough for me to notice and pull back.

"Sorry, I- I just. Sorry. I didn't mean to push you too far."

He stroked my cheek. "I didn't mean to push you away Roza. Or to hurt your feelings. But I don't think that we're ready for that." His eyes were sincere and deep, and understanding. "I want to know you more, and to be a part of your life before we go that far. I want it to be special… to make love to you Roza. You're worth so much more than a quick fuck, and when we're together finally, I want you to know that."

I nodded and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. " Thank you… For making me feel like I'm worth something more." He smiled again, one that made my heart lift. "There's one thing that I haven't asked you yet… why did you buy all of that stuff. I appreciate you buying it, but why?"

"Because like I said earlier, I care about you. And, I apologise for being so abrupt with you in class. I just wasn't sure if I'd gone too far, by touching you like that, and I wasn't sure how to act about it…"

"So you figured it would be better to ignore me and pretend that it never happened?" He nodded meekly, and this time, I was the one to tilt his face up to meet mine. "Well trust me Mr Belikov, you didn't go far enough. Coming here and sweeping me off of my feet was the right thing to do."

I giggled at the amused expression on his face and snuggled into his chest once more.

"Well Ms Hathaway, to continue the point I was making earlier, I bought all of that stuff because I couldn't bear to see the tears in your eyes. I'd wanted to help you out for so long before then, but I didn't know how to, and you always seemed to have everything under control. But tonight… you just seemed so broken, and I wanted to take that away. I wanted to see that beautiful smile on your face permanently. And I knew that you'd appreciate it for the gift that it was. And I thought that you deserved to not have to worry for a little while." He brushed some of the hair out of my eyes. "Your floor will probably need replacing, but all you need is a new S-bend and washer for your washing machine and it'll be as good as new. If you want, I could get the parts and fix it for you tomorrow evening after I finish at work – it'll be cheaper than calling a plumber."

I pretended to think about it. "Would you let me cook you dinner as a thank you?"

He smiled widely. "If I say yes, would you agree to going on a date with me?"

"You don't waste any time do you?"

He grinned. "Not when it comes down to women who are as beautiful and inspiring as you are. Is that a yes?"

I grinned back. "Maybe. Will there be kissing involved?"

"Definitely."

"Then I don't see why not. I would be honoured to go on a date with you Dimitri." And then I giggled. "I feel like I'm back in college all over again." And then I yawned. "Sorry. I'm normally in bed by now."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that your subtle way of telling me that it's time to go?"

"No! I mean, I know you've got your own life and work tomorrow morning. But you can stay for a bit longer if you want." I yawned again and covered my mouth. "Sorry."

"It's not a problem Roza. I've overstayed my welcome and should have respected the fact that you've got a life too and a routine." I squealed as he scooped me up into his arms and stood up. "Where's your bedroom?"

"Oh, I um… this is my bedroom."

His brow furrowed in confusion and I rushed to explain.

"When Adrian first kicked us out, this was the only place the council had available. A one bedroomed flat. It was supposed to be their emergency accommodation, but they weren't able to move us into a larger house before the kids settled in at school. I was reluctant to start upsetting the one constant they had in their lives, so I didn't make a fuss about getting another place. So the kids have the bedroom, and I sleep in here."

"But where's your bed?"

I pointed to the sofa. "A few minutes ago we were lying on it. Much like I will be once you've gone."

"Isn't it uncomfortable?"

I shrugged. "You get used to it. And it's not really prudent to have a bed in the front room, so unless I bought a camp bed and unfolded it every night, this just has to do. Besides, I have more important things to spend the money on. I'd sleep on hot coals so long as my kids have what they need. What I need isn't important."

He frowned again, and I smoothed the wrinkles in his forehead. "Seriously Dimitri, don't worry about it."

He didn't say anything. Instead, he gently placed me on the sofa. "Where are your blankets?"

I pointed to the dining table in the corner.

He strode over and picked up the blanket, duvet and pillow from the table top before making his way back over to me.

"Which end do you normally place your pillow?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled it out of his hands before flopping down and shoving it under my head. "It all depends on which way around I fall asleep."

What he did next surprised me… pleasantly I might add. Dimitri sat down beside me, pulled off his socks, jumper and t-shirt, and scooped me up into his arms once more. Then he laid down, spreading the duvet around so that it somehow managed to cover me and his much larger frame, before flicking off the lamp.

"What are you doing?"

His fingers began to run through my hair again. "Staying with you."

Cautiously, I let my fingers trace over the muscled planes of his chest. "Wow. I've never seen… or in this case felt muscles this defined before."

His chuckle brought me back to reality. "Thank you." His arms lifted me up for a second before laying me down so that I was held even more securely. "Is that more comfortable?"

"Mmmm." I nodded. "Thank you." I lifted my head for a moment so that I could stare directly into his eyes even though I couldn't see them. Even in the dark, I could feel the intensity of his gaze, searing right through to my soul. "You don't have to do this you know."

"I know."

I leant up and let my lips seek his out. It was a gentle, caring kiss, and it ended on its own. My head rested against his chest once more, and I fell asleep to what I'd dreamt about for months. _Being wrapped up in his strong arms and protected while I slept._

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning wrapped up tightly in my blankets, but alone.<p>

Groggily, I tried to figure out why it felt so strange until the previous nights events flooded back into my mind.

_Dimitri came over to help me out, and he stayed over. He stayed over topless! And he kissed me a lot. Or was it all a figment of my imagination?_

Frantically, I glanced at the floor. His clothes and shoes were gone – there was no sign that he'd been in here with me last night. I scrambled to get off of the sofa and stretched before sprinting into the kitchen. The towels were still on the floor, and the washing machine was still broken. But the toolbox was also there, and a few of the bags.

Grabbing the handle to the cupboard nearest to me, I wrenched the door open, to find it filled with the food that Dimitri had brought for me yesterday.

He really had been here. It wasn't an amazingly realistic dream. So where was he now?

Frowning, I caught sight of the time and made my way through the flat to wake the kids up. Once Alyssa was in the shower and Tom was choosing what he wanted to wear, I walked back into the front room to tidy up the sofa, ready for its day-time use.

As I picked up the pillow that had fallen onto the floor in my haste to find Dimitri, a small crackle of paper caught my attention. I moved the pillow again, and the crackle sounded once more.

I turned the pillow over in my hands to see that nothing was there, yet the rustle sounded once more.

_If I was Dimitri, where would I put something so that it was sure to catch someone's attention?_

I giggled to myself as I opened up the pillowcase and found the note that was nestled inside.

_Roza,_

_I'm sorry I wo__n't be there when you wake up, but I had to leave to go to work and you looked so peaceful that I couldn't bear to wake you. Last night was... amazing, for want of a better word. I put away most of the food shopping so that it didn't go off before you woke up – I hope you don't mind. If it's still alright with you, I'll come over tonight as soon as my shift finishes, with the things for your washing machine. If you find out that today's not a good day you've got my number, so just call or send me a text. Hopefully, I'll see you later, and it'll give Tom the chance to finish seeing whether I'm good enough at Hot Wheels to date you or not. ;)_

_Dimitri x_

_P.S. And if at any point during the day you start to feel downhearted, read Matthew 5:3-10 x_

I sighed happily and clutched the note to my heart before heading back into the bedroom to finish getting the kids ready for school.

* * *

><p>"Tom! Get your skinny little bottom in that shower, NOW!"<p>

"But I already had my shower!"

"Yes, you had a shower this morning. Now you need to have your shower before you go to bed."

"But why?" He whined and pouted as I glared at him with my arm outstretched in the direction of the bathroom.

"Because I said so, that's why. I'm the mummy, and I make the rules."

"You make stupid rules." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!"

"That's what I thought. Now get in that shower before I put you on the naughty step..." He stuck his tongue out at me. "_And_ take away _all_ of your Hot Wheels for the next month."

Horror covered his features. "I'm going to go and have my shower now."

I grinned triumphantly. "And don't forget to brush your teeth."

* * *

><p>I sighed tiredly as I placed Dimitri's plate down in front of him and sat down at the other side of the table.<p>

"Hard day?"

I laughed lightly. "Not so much with work, but with Tom... he likes to test my patience and see how far he can push things before he gets into serious trouble. But at least I know the kitchen floor will be replaced by the end of this week – a nice new floor - something positive to look forward to. At least, until Tom spills paint all over it."

Dimitri chuckled. "He sounds like my nephew Paul." He looked thoughtful as he twirled some spaghetti onto his fork. "Actually, he sounds more like Zoya. Paul's more like me, in looks and behaviour."

"Paul's the eldest of your nephews?"

He nodded as he swallowed another mouthful of the spaghetti Bolognese I'd cooked. "Paul and Zoya are Karolina's children. Orel - Sonya's son is the youngest." He forked up another few mouthfuls before continuing. "This is really good. I didn't expect you to make something so elaborate." I scowled and he held up his hands defensively. "I didn't mean it like that! I just expected you to have forgotten or to have given me whatever the kids had – you didn't need to make anything especially for me."

"You wanted to have mashed potatoes, sausages and peas?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't have minded. I just didn't want to cause you too much trouble."

"Well, this was the least I could do to say thank you. I promised to make you dinner, and I figured that I'd at least try to make it worthwhile."

"Thank you."

I grinned. "Actually, you should thank the kids. If not for them, I'd still be an absolutely terrible cook. I only learnt because I had to, otherwise you'd probably be eating beans on toast right now."

He laughed along with me and I picked up the papers he'd brought over yesterday. I hadn't had a chance to read through them yet, and it would allow Dimitri to eat without feeling like I was scrutinising his every move.

"You aren't having any?"

"Hmmm?" I glanced up from the notes on how to make a website and hyperlink it to another website – or at least, I think that's what the paragraph was on about.

He'd almost finished the huge plateful I'd given him, and was watching me curiously. "I should have asked earlier, but it slipped my mind as soon as I sat down. Aren't you going to have any dinner?"

"I already ate with the kids. I wasn't sure what time you were coming over, and if I hadn't eaten with them it would have raised fifty million questions that I didn't have the energy to answer."

He nodded and continued to eat, and so I continued to read. "Thank you for copying out the notes and everything for me. I would never have had the time to catch up."

"You're welcome Roza."

There was silence again for a few minutes, save for the scrape and clatter of the cutlery against the dish.

"Where do you want me to put my plate?"

"I'll take it." I reached across the table to pick up his plate before I stood and carried it into the kitchen. "You did a really good job – thank you."

"Good job on what?" His voice grew clearer as he walked into the kitchen to stand next to me.

I smiled at the fixed washing machine – that was currently washing the last of the towels – in admiration.

"On my machine."

He laughed, before wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me in so that my back rested against his chest and his chin could rest on the crown of my head. "You're very welcome. And thank you for cooking me dinner."

"You're welcome. I hope you enjoyed it."

"Definitely. It's been a long while since I've had someone cook for me and put as much care and effort into it as you did."

I smiled and let my arms rest on top of his so that I could lace our fingers together. "You know, you never did tell me about when you were homeless – how you've been in my position."

"There's not much to tell really. When I first came to England to study, I had everything planned out. I'd gain the qualifications I needed, get a good job, hopefully meet someone and then move back home when I'd either saved up enough or when I retired. I moved over here at eighteen to do my English degree so that I could become a teacher. While I did my degree I was fine, but afterwards, things went a little pear shaped. Three of us shared a house. Me, my friend Ivan who'd studied the same course as I did, and another guy who was more Ivan's friend than mine. While I studied for my PGCE, the two of them were supposedly looking for proper work. However, the two of them got into a bit of trouble, financially and in other ways."

"They were in debt?"

A humorous smile popped up across his face. "Yes, but not in the way you're thinking. They were in debt to the wrong sort of people - people who you'd meet down a dark alleyway somewhere. But no matter who they were involved with, they were my friends. They helped me out a lot when I first moved to England; they took me out and helped me adjust to the customs and processes that came with living in a foreign country. So I gave them my savings so that they could pay back the… associates who they'd gotten involved with."

"How much did you give them?"

"Five thousand."

My shocked face said it all.

He laughed and gently pushed up on my jaw so that my mouth closed. "Trust me Roza, that's nothing. They'd actually built up more debt than they'd told me about. They'd gotten involved in some really dodgy stuff, but didn't have the money to back up their cut. However, they thought that the five thousand would be enough to buy them some time until they could get the rest."

"Just how much debt did they build up?"

"Somewhere in the region of fifty thousand."

My jaw dropped once again.

"But things didn't turn out like we'd hoped. I continued studying – blissfully unaware of the trouble that was brewing. I thought that everything was fine and that they were able to move on with their lives. Instead, they were getting death threats and all sorts of other things. It all came to a head when I was followed home from my work placement one night. I told them that I thought I was being followed and they confessed everything. So I gave them half of my reserve savings, which was around two thousand pounds. They took it and assured me that everything would be oaky from then on."

"And was it?"

"The threats stopped, and I wasn't followed anymore. I relaxed and started my second work placement." He paused, and I squeezed his hand encouragingly. "And then I came home to find them both dead."

My body stiffened in surprise and I felt as Dimitri's arms tightened around me - though whether it was out of a need for comfort or to keep me from running, I didn't know.

"The house was an absolute wreck. Furniture had been overturned, glass was smashed all over the floor, and everything was drenched in blood. No one was there anymore – at least no one alive was there. Ivan and his friend were both in the kitchen…" he shook himself as if to bring his mind back into the present. "It's not a memory I like to dwell on, and it's not a very nice image to describe, or remember."

"What happened after?"

"I called the police and told them everything. I had bank statements to prove that I'd deposited the money into Ivan's account, and then I found out that the money was still there. He hadn't used it to pay the guys off – I have no idea why. The police got the bank to return the money to me since it hadn't been used for what it was intended, and they tried to find the murderers. While they had their investigation going, I had to call the families and let them know what had happened. Once they got over their shock they took over the arrangements and organised the funerals and all of the things that come with a family member's death. I attended both funerals and tried to carry on with my life. I used the money that had been put back into my account to rent a small flat near to the university I was studying at, and after a few months things seemed to go back to normal. I built up my routine again, the flashbacks stopped, and eventually the police stopped their investigation as they couldn't find any trace of the men they were looking for." He sighed deeply before continuing. "I graduated and started looking for a job. In the meantime, I worked as a barman in a local pub, doing the late night shifts." I could feel as the tension started to build up in his forearms and rubbed his hands soothingly. "The gang members or mobsters, whatever you want to call them, found me. Even though I knew very little about what had happened, they didn't want to take any chances. They attacked me as I was walking home one night, but luckily for me someone came across the scene before they were able to finish me off. I spent a week in hospital, and then I disappeared. As soon as I was discharged I went home, packed up as many of my things that I could carry and went to stay with a friend. I spent the next year sleeping rough – living off of friend's sofas or in hotel rooms. After a year, I'd used up almost all of my savings. I figured that I was safe enough, and applied for a job here in Leicester. It was at a boarding school, so I got 'free room and board' - they took it out of my salary, and I started saving once again. After a few years, I applied for another job, got it and found somewhere to live. It's a good school in a good area, and so that's where I've been for the past nine years."

I turned in his arms so I could stare up into his eyes. Right now, they seemed so lonely and lost, and held so many conflicting emotions. Gently, I placed my hand on the side of his face, gently caressing his cheek when he leant into my touch. "It's not your fault." My voice was soft as I let my other hand trail up his chest to hold the other side of his face.

"It is." His voice was a strained whisper. "If I'd realised earlier on, if I'd noticed what they were doing, I could have stopped them before they got too involved. Maybe then they wouldn't be dead – I could have helped before it got that far."

I shook my head. "Or maybe you'd have gotten involved, and then you'd be dead too. It's hard Dimitri, I understand that. But you can't blame yourself. They were grown men who knew what they were risking when they got involved with that gang. You can't blame yourself for their mistake, for their lack of judgement." He started to shake his head, but I held his face in place. "You have to let it go Dimitri. The past is the past. Look towards the future." I stroked his cheek once more and watched his eyes as he stared into mine.

His deep, dark brown eyes bored into mine as he searched my gaze for some unknown answer. Finally, he nodded and turned his head so that he could kiss my palm. "I am."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm thinking about doing a DPOV, would you guys be interested? Also, I'm very sorry to anyone who's sent me a PM and hasn't had a reply. The site has changed their messaging system and you can't reply to messages that were sent before the 26<strong>**th**** :'( So please don't think that I've been ignoring you! xx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six.**

**I am extremely sorry for the late update, I finished this chapter on Friday afternoon, but wasn't able to update it until I got to school on Monday morning. I couldn't reply to everyone's reviews both because my parents are too cheap to get an internet connection, and the dongle thing they had wouldn't let me open up the fanfiction site, saying that it has content that's unsuitable for under 18's. Argh, it was an unnecessary and unwanted headache. On top of that, the laptop I used to use, that was wi-fi enabled, didn't want to even switch on. I suspect my brother has been messing around on it, but there's nothing I can do. All I can say is that I'm so, so, so sorry, and that it hopefully won't ever happen again.**

**So, would it be ok if I changed my update day to a Monday? At least that way, I'll be able to get onto the site via the school computers!**

**As many people wanted it****, I will be doing a DPOV! However, it won't be going up for at least a couple of chapters – there are a few things I need to fit in before that happens.**

**Cami – I'm really glad you liked it!**

**Badbadgurl – Hey! Thank you so much for your review, and I'm really glad that you're enjoying the way that the story's progressing! And thank you for the well wishes on my exams.**

**Disha – the DPOV is coming up soon, and I'm sorry for the wait :D **

**Now everything's done, here's chapter six! **

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><p>It had been three months since Dimitri came around to my house and fixed my washing machine.<p>

Three months since we'd had our first kiss… Or first kisses.

And three months since we'd started dating.

That thought still brought a smile to my face.

He drove me home after all of our each of our lessons, and stayed over almost every night. The only nights he didn't come over was when he had to stay behind and work late, or when he had a lot of marking to do. But even then, he sometimes came over once the kids had gone to bed, to talk with me and then we'd fall asleep together on the sofa. He needed to leave before the kids woke up to get to work on time, but their comments led me to think that we hadn't been as careful as we thought we'd been.

However, tonight was the night, the night that Dimitri was taking me on our first proper date. The one that I'd promised him in exchange for cooking him dinner.

I wasn't quite sure where he was taking me, but he'd assured me that I'd enjoy it and that we wouldn't be too far from home. He refused to tell me any major details about what we were doing or where we were going. The only information I'd been given was that I could choose whether I dressed up or came casually, and to bring an overnight bag just in case.

I'd packed my pyjamas and some spare clothes for tomorrow into my backpack before I got the kids ready for bed. It was a Saturday night, so I'd asked one of my co-workers – Mia – to babysit for me, and to be prepared in case she had to stay the night.

My friendship with Mia was a strange one. When I'd first started working at Tesco's she'd been on the brink of a promotion and had taken an immediate dislike to me. I hadn't been entirely sure why, and at first had tried to simply stay out her way in the hopes that it would blow over and I could continue to plod along and do what I needed to do. That hadn't worked. She'd gone out of her way to disrupt my work life and make my job hell. But after a few days, I realised what she was doing and confronted her about it in the staffroom when we were alone. She'd tried to play innocent, and when that fell flat she'd tried to take me on. A few punches and slaps, from both sides, and a split pot of coffee later, she'd realised that we were fighting over nothing. I wasn't a threat to her chances of being promoted, and so she had no reason to be defensive around me. We'd become close friends, and despite her actually gaining the promotion, that friendship had held for the last two years.

She didn't know much about my past; simply that I'd been treated badly, and thankfully she didn't push the subject.

I had however, told her about Dimitri. Well, I'd needed someone to gossip with, and to help me dissect all of the hidden meanings in every little thing that happened between us - before Dimitri came over and rescued me from the horrors that a broken washing machine could bring. Now, our relationship was, in her words 'her daily source of romance and light'. Since Dimitri stayed over almost every night, she felt that she had the right to fantasize about our wedding and the babies we were supposedly going to have in the near future. Whenever that topic came up I simply laughed her off. Dimitri and I weren't at that stage in our relationship yet, and I wasn't going to push it.

But her words only brought up some of my anxieties. What if Dimitri expected us to go all the way tonight? I knew that I'd tried to initiate a sexual relationship between us the first night he'd stayed over, but his words and the good night's sleep had helped me to realise that he was right. We hadn't at that point, and it wouldn't have been right for us to have sex then.

But did that mean that he felt ready now? I wasn't, and though I knew he'd understand if I told him, I didn't want him to be disappointed or to feel like I'd been leading him on.

A small shake to my shoulders roused me from my thoughts. "Rose. The doorbell's just gone."

I blinked and tried to focus on Mia's excited face, frowning when her words didn't register or make sense in my mind.

She sighed. "Mr tall dark and incredibly handsome, aka your sexy Russian saviour is here to take you on your date." She grinned and I felt as heat flooded my cheeks.

"I can't." Nerves bubbled up in the pit of my stomach. "What if I mess it up, or he realises that it's all just a big mistake and that he's wasting his time. Or-"

She shook my shoulders once again and forced me to look into her eyes. "Trust me Rose, that man is _crazy_ about you. There is _no_ way that he is going to ever reject you, especially when you're looking so fabulous. Just take a deep breath, ready yourself and then go out there and have a good time."

"Okay. Thank you." I took a deep breath like she said, squared my shoulders and then made my way to the front door.

_You can do this Rose. It's only Dimitri. You can do this._

Just as I opened the front door and smiled at Dimitri, Mia's voice rang through the flat. "And if you do get into a spot of '_bother_'… make sure you're safe! Accidents can happen if you don't use protect-"

I slammed the door shut and looked back up at him nervously as I made a mental note to strangle her when I got home.

But Dimitri didn't seem to have heard. Instead, his eyes raked over me, slowly inching their way up from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

I was wearing a dress, which was a shock. It was a black cocktail dress that Mia had picked out and bought for me. I'd tried to tell her not to, but she was like Lissa when it came down to shopping and had refused to move until I gave in and let her buy it.

Though I had to admit it looked good, _really good_, and it suited me really well. Despite the fact that I wasn't as toned as I had been, it nipped in at my waist, giving me a more defined hourglass figure. The skirt was made out of a chiffon type material; it hung in layers that puffed out slightly to fall just above my knees. The neckline was square, so none of my cleavage was revealed, with thin lines of beaded embroidery from the neckline to my bust, along with a lace cap-sleeved bolero type jacket.

Mia had wanted me to wear a pair of ridiculously high heels, and though the teenage me would have jumped at the chance, I was now older and wiser. So I'd worn a decent pair of black flats that had a little bow on the toe. Feminine and practical. In a similar state of mind, I'd decided to leave my hair down in loose waves. It took minimal effort, and Dimitri liked my hair, so it was a sort of favour to him, as well as the fact that I'd decided to let him see me in a dress – something I'd thought would never happen.

There was no chance for me to change my mind or go back indoors to change my outfit now that he'd seen me, so I let my gaze drift over Dimitri.

He was breathtaking.

I'd told him that I was going to make the effort to dress up, and clearly, he had too. Like always, he had his duster on, but tonight it was open to reveal his muscular defined body clothed in a tight fitting blue cashmere v-neck, with a white t-shirt poking out at the neckline, and black dress trousers. His polished shoes shone under the dim light in the hallway as I let my sight travel up and over his legs, across his torso and onto his face. His chestnut brown hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, but a few strands had fallen free to hang at the side of his face, giving his distinguished air a sense of mischief. His lips were quirked, in an expression that I'd come to recognise as the one he wore when he was trying to hide his amusement at something that had happened.

The fact that he'd seen the funny side of Mia's statement relaxed the butterflies that had erupted in my stomach, and I allowed my gaze to meet his.

His eyes burnt into mine, the intensity of his stare scorching me and sending a jolt of electricity through my body that seemed to concentrate between my legs. Suddenly, I wasn't so sure about my earlier affirmation that I wasn't ready to take that next step.

"See something you like?" I covered up my mixed feelings with a slight tease.

But instead of answering, Dimitri only let his gaze trail over me once more. His eyes dragged their way from my eyes, down my face and over the top half of my dress. Just as slowly, they continued their descent, seemingly taking in every small detail as they paused on my legs, before continuing down to my feet, and then making their way back up.

I bit my lip nervously and watched as Dimitri's sight focused in on my lips before he moved towards me and cupped my face in his hands.

"You are too good to be true Roza. The greatest temptation that could ever exist. How do you do these things to me, make me feel like this?" His voice sounded slightly deeper than normal, but it only made his tone sound richer and more inviting.

"I take it that you like the outfit then?" My voice in comparison, sounded slightly flustered and breathless. No matter how long I'd known Dimitri, having him in such a close proximity always made my head spin.

He nodded, but once again didn't comment. Instead, he crushed his lips to mine in a passionate, powerful kiss that I eagerly returned.

_Ahem._

We broke apart at the sound of someone clearing their throats, and turned to find Mia standing in the doorway. A slight smirk adorned her lips, but I could see the happiness that she had for me in her eyes. She pointed to her wrist before laughing lightly at our confused expressions. "You two have been kissing away quite happily for the last five minutes. And Dimitri was eye-fucking you for a good few minutes before that. If you carry on like this, you'll miss your date and need a hotel instead." She winked at me when she mentioned Dimitri undressing me with his eyes before making a shooing motion with her hands. "Get going. The kids are in bed, and I have a tub of Hagen daaz waiting for me on the sofa, along with an amazing selection of films. I do not need a slurpy backing track that consists of you two sticking your tongues down each other's throats. Get a room." She paused for thought. "Or go sit in the back row of the cinema."

Just as I opened my mouth to reply back to her with a few choice words, Dimitri turned to me. He gently pulled my bag from my hands so that he could sling it over his shoulder before he held his free arm out towards me, like the gentlemen always did for their ladies in old-style films. "Ready Roza?"

I grinned up at him before tucking my hand into the crook of his arm. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>I let out a low whistle as Dimitri helped me out of the car and lead me up the steps to his flat. "It's really nice, and you've got a little garden too."<p>

He chuckled as he opened the front door before taking my hand. "It's supposed to be shared or split between all of the residents, but the others aren't too interested in taking care of it. They said that if I didn't want the hassle since I lived on the bottom floor, then they'd put paving slabs over the grass. But that's a bit of a waste, and it's nice to have some greenery close to you."

"Well it's better than mine. At least it's neat and tidy."

He laughed. "Your garden is beautiful and unique Roza. All the different splashes of colour, just the sight of them instantly lifts my mood."

"So that's why you come around and sleep over almost every day - or night." I mused. "It's like free therapy."

"Ha ha." He narrowed his eyes at me playfully.

I grinned. "And trust me; it was not planned that way. If I didn't kill any plant that I touched, it would be pruned and trimmed like yours is."

"You're a good gardener. What I see when I come over is proof of that."

"No, what you see is evidence of many, many packets of seeds being chucked randomly all over the place, in the hopes that if I kept my contact to a minimum, they'd be encouraged to grow."

"Mmhmmm. I believe you, but I still think you should give yourself more credit." He pulled me inside before he shut the door and started to lead me through the flat. I tugged my hand out of his so that I could slip my shoes off and place them out of the way along with my bag before taking his hand again so that he could continue to lead me.

"But that's not the point. I thought we were going out?"

"We are. And we went out. And now we're here."

"At your flat?" He nodded and continued to pull me along, into his kitchen. "What are we doing here?"

There was a decent sized table in the far corner, and he pulled me over to it before pulling a chair out so that I could sit down. "I'm going to make you dinner. You get to choose what we eat, what we drink, and what happens afterwards. The focus is on you relaxing, not needing to worry, and having a good night."

"Oh. Okay then." I grinned. "So what's on the menu?"

"Absolutely anything you want Ms Hathaway – within reason."

"Well what do you have? You have to have had some sort of idea in your mind about what you were going to do."

He looked thoughtful. "I was considering doing steak, or shepherd's pie. Maybe even lasagne, but I wasn't sure if that would be too heavy – if that makes sense."

"Any of those sound wonderful. Do whatever you want to eat most."

He smiled at me before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to my lips. "It's your night Roza, so your preference takes precedence over mine."

I grinned against his lips before reaching up to twine my fingers into his hair. "My preference? Whatever I want?" He nodded. "So what if I say that I don't even care about the food and that I want to kiss you all night long?"

A laugh bubbled out of his throat, and his arms encircled my waist before he lifted me up so he could sit down and place me on his lap. "I would have to say that I don't have any objections… But I do think that you're telling a massive fib."

"Really?" I leant forward and let my forehead rest against his.

"Yes really."

I laughed and pulled back. "You're probably right."

He laughed along with me, before lifting me off of his lap so that he could stand up. "Well madam. What would you like to drink?"

"Whatever you've got."

As he walked over to his fridge, I let my eyes take in his kitchen. It was… plain, for want of a better word. The walls were painted a bright white, with equally bright white tiles on the wall around the sink. The floor was that laminated wood stuff, and from the comfortable warmth underneath my toes, it was heated. Large black granite counters ran along the wall opposite to the door, split in the middle by a shiny sink. A gigantic fridge-freezer and three tall white cupboards that looked to be slightly taller than Dimitri were lined up against the wall adjacent to the counters, and a set of shelves that held his pots and pans lined the walls the table was against.

Unlike my house, everything here was placed and structured. It was neat and tidy… but it didn't feel like a home. It was cold, vacant, and I started to understand another reason why Dimitri spent so much time over with me.

"Roza, do you want wine or juice?"

"Huh?" I'd been so caught up in my observations that I'd completely forgotten Dimitri was getting me a drink?"

"I noticed that you don't tend to keep alcohol in your house, so I bought some of the juice you like too."

I smiled. "Can I be cheeky and have a bit of both?"

He nodded and placed the carton on the table before heading back to the fridge. "What colour?"

"Whichever you'd prefer. I haven't drunk much alcohol since the kids were born, so I'm not too fussed."

He nodded before pulling out a small bottle of Rosé. "This one has a nice taste and isn't too strong." He placed that down on the table top before he pulled out one of the drawers underneath – most likely to look for a corkscrew. "If you look in the cupboard that's closest to the table you'll find the glasses."

There were a few random mugs in there that showed signs of frequent use, and a beautiful set of dinner plates. "Wow. These are beautiful." I traced the decorated edge of the one on top.

"The plates?"

"Yeah. They're absolutely gorgeous. And in such good condition." I took two of the wine glasses from the middle shelf and shut the cupboard door.

"My mother bought them for me as a going away present. They remind me of her, so I do my best to look after them." He paused as a longing smile passed over his face. "And bone china is extremely expensive. I can't afford to break them."

I laughed. "Then you're lucky you don't live with Tom."

"He hasn't messed up the new floor."

"Yet." I took a small sip of the wine Dimitri poured into my glass. "This is nice. It's sweet to the taste, which is a good surprise."

"Just like you." He leant down and pecked my lips once again.

I giggled. "You're being awfully affectionate tonight Mr Belikov." I poked his chest. "What's going on?"

"I can't be happy that I'm finally taking my wonderful girlfriend on a long overdue date?" I wrinkled my nose at him and he laughed before taking the glass out of my hand, setting it on the table and pulling me close. Automatically, I tilted my head back so that I could see his face clearly. He tenderly brushed some hair away from my face before speaking. "I'm just really glad you're here. I've not had many girlfriends while I've been in England, and I've never invited any of them over. In fact, since the whole thing with Ivan, I've kept myself to myself, so very few people in general have been in here. I'm happy that you're here."

Once he finished speaking, he seemed lighter, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I'm happy I'm here too. Thank you for opening up to me, and for inviting me on this brilliant date."

"Thank you for accepting." As I leant up to kiss him my stomach rumbled, causing us to both pull back and laugh.

"Dinner time. What do you want?"

"What about steak? It's relatively quick, and I can help you with the other parts." I placed my finger over his lips to stop him from objecting. "I know that this is a date and you want me to be able to sit back and relax. But this is _our_ date Dimitri, which means you get to relax too, and I want to help."

"Fine."

I grinned happily and kissed him on the cheek. "What do you need me to do?"

"First off, pick what vegetables you want, and I'll get started on the potatoes."

"Where's the veg?"

"Bottom drawer of the freezer. The broccoli is in one of the drawers in the fridge."

"We're not having any of that yucky green stuff. Alyssa says it looks like trees, and I agree with her."

"It's good for you."

"It's disgusting and it's not going anywhere near my dinner." I couldn't see his face since I was rooting around in the freezer, but I heard his chuckle. "We'll have some of this mixed veg. Carrots, green beans and peas." I shut the drawer and door before dumping the packet in the sink and joining him at the far end of the counter. "Do you have another peeler?"

He indicated towards one of the drawers and after a few seconds of searching I found another one.

We worked in quiet comfort for the next half an hour, just enjoying the closeness that had seemed to develop from simply preparing a meal together. Once the potatoes were just over halfway boiled and we'd set the table, I leant against Dimitri's chest, smiling when his arms wrapped around my waist tightly.

"You look beautiful tonight."

"You like it?" I didn't look up as his fingers trailed through the ends of my hair and traced patterns along my back.

"Very much so. You look absolutely stunning."

"I'm surprised I wore a dress. But I feel comfortable in it. Actually, not so much that I'm comfortable in it, it's more like I'm comfortable around you. You make me feel like the most beautiful woman on Earth without even saying a word."

"You are the most beautiful woman on Earth. And I am the luckiest man on Earth."

"I think it's the other way around. I don't know what I did to deserve you in my life. But I'm so thankful that you are."

"I think that's the other way around Roza."

I laughed and pressed my face against his chest. "Thank you."

His fingers trailed through my hair once more as the comfortable silence wrapped around us again.

Once the timer went off, I moved out of Dimitri's arms with a happy sigh.

"Is the oil in the pan hot enough?"

He lifted the fat shield and held his hand a few centimetres above it before nodding. "Which piece do you want?"

"Ummm, that medium sized piece. Thank you."

He nodded and speared it with the cooking fork before tilting the shield so that I wouldn't get splattered when he placed it in. He quickly speared a piece for himself before placing the shield on top and taking a few steps back. "How well done do you like it?"

"Just over medium rare please. I like to be able to see that it's cooked, but when I cut it for there to be the tiniest hint of red."

"I'll take yours out just before mine. It should be ok, if not; I'll put it back in for another minute."

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><p>Our food had come out perfectly.<p>

The steak was hot and savoury, with a good blend of spices; the potatoes were fresh, and the fact that they had only been boiled meant that there was no overwhelming taste to rival that of the steak. The veg was… veg. I wasn't a huge fan, but it was an essential part of your diet, and I tried to set a good example for the kids.

I'd only had one glass of wine, but it had complemented the food nicely, as had the juice.

And desert.

I had eaten almost an entire cheesecake. I hadn't meant to, but it had only taken one slice and I'd been hooked.

When I demanded to know where on Earth Dimitri had found a cheesecake that was that amazing, he'd told me he'd gotten it especially from a shop in Loughborough, and had promised to take me there sometime.

The cheesecake was absolutely _divine_. It was lemon flavoured, and light and fluffy with a firm biscuit base. It had stimulated my taste buds and left me begging for more. And more I'd had… until the whole thing was gone; save for the two pieces that Dimitri had managed to eat before I took over.

In my defence, it wasn't a _massive_ cheesecake, and that helped alleviate some of my guilt about eating the entire thing.

"Ugh. I feel full right up to my neck." The guilt made a vicious comeback.

"No one told you to eat the entire cake Roza." Despite his chastising words, Dimitri rubbed my stomach softly and kissed the nape of my neck. "You could have saved some for later."

We were curled up together on his huge leather sofa, underneath a blanket as some late night program was showing on his television screen. I'd pulled off the jacket a while ago and Dimitri had taken off his jumper during dinner.

"But it was so good. It would have been a waste to not eat it."

I could hear the laughter in his voice. "You could have taken it home with you tomorrow and shared it with the kids.

I thought about it for a moment. "No. That's not a good idea either. I'm the only one who's special enough to eat it."

His chest rumbled as he chuckled out loud and we lapsed back into silence.

* * *

><p>"Roza."<p>

"Yeah?" My answer was a sleepy mumble. The smooth, steady sound of Dimitri's breathing combined with his body warmth and the gentle tickle as his fingers traced patterns over the skin of my arms and face had relaxed my body and almost lulled me to sleep.

He must have noticed because his voice was a gentle murmur. "I take it you're sleeping over?"

"Mmmmm." I shut my eyes and turned in his arms so I could press my face into the crook of his neck. "So long as it's okay with you."

Gently, his arms lifted me and cradled me against his chest. In an attempt to keep myself from falling asleep in his arms, I wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt his body shift as he started to walk, and a few seconds later, the television flicked off, followed by the light a few seconds after that.

He paused again, and I felt his body dip, as he must have picked up my bag, and he continued on through the flat.

Once he stopped walking completely, I opened my eyes blearily and felt my pulse start to race.

We were in what was obviously his bedroom.

Three of the walls were painted a cream colour, but the wall opposite us was a deep crimson red. A large bay window was set in the coloured wall, with floor length black velvet curtains hanging at either side. A large wardrobe stood in the corner of the room closest to us, and in the centre of the middle wall was a huge king sized bed. Dimitri's bed. It had two huge, fluffy looking pillows at the top, a butter yellow sheet and a quilt covered in a black quilt cover. There was a decent sized bedside table on the far side next to the bed, and a desk in the opposite side of the room.

This room, like the others in Dimitri's flat was also relatively plain, but there were several picture frames plotted at different points along the walls, bedside table and desk. They gave the room an almost-homey feel, making it feel more intimate and personal than the rest of the place.

"What's wrong Roza?" My startled eyes rose to meet his concerned ones. "Why are you so tense?"

"I'm not tense."

He cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Half a minute ago, you were just about to drop asleep, and then as soon as I brought you in here you went completely rigid..." He trailed off as understanding filled his voice and moved forwards to place me on the bed. Once I was sat down he knelt in front of me and tilted my face up to meet his. "I'm not going to push you into anything Roza. I didn't bring you in here with the intention of having sex. I just thought it would be nice for you to sleep in a bed, and since we almost always sleep together on your settee, I didn't think it would be a problem."

Heat rose up my cheeks as I spoke. "It won't be, but don't you- don't you want to? Y'know..." I trailed off and ducked my gaze, only to feel his fingers pushing my chin back up so that I had to face him.

"... I do want to Roza. However, I know that you're not ready, and I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to have sex when you don't want to. When you're ready, it'll be perfect, and I don't care how long it takes. I'm not with you simply for your body, no matter how tempting it is. I'm with you because I care about you – more than I've ever cared about anyone else."

"So... you aren't angry that I'm not ready?"

"No."

"And you're fine with waiting – no matter how long it takes?" He nodded. "Thank you." I leant forward and pressed my lips to his softly.

"You're welcome." He stood up and moved over to the wardrobe. "If you get your pyjamas out, I'll show you how the shower works. What colour towel would you like?"

"To be honest, I'm so tired I couldn't care less."

He chuckled and handed me a large blue coloured towel before taking my hand and leading me next door. "It's relatively easy to switch on and switch off. Just make sure you let the water run for a few seconds before you get in otherwise you'll either freeze or get scalded."

After he finished showing me how to use the shower, he left the room and closed the door behind him. I tied my hair up into a bun on the top of my head so it didn't get wet, and adjusted the height of the shower head. Then came the hard part. I couldn't reach far enough behind my back to pull the zipper down.

"Dimitri?" He was laid out on the top of the bed, seemingly at ease as he read another one of those awful westerns.

"Yes Roza?" His eyes never left the page.

"Could you unzip me please?"

That got his attention.

His eyes flickered up from the book and appraised me for a moment, before he swung his legs over the end of the bed and stood up. I stood there frozen as he took long, measured strides towards me, stopping only when there was literally no space between us.

"Turn around."

I did as he said, and felt my stomach flip as he brushed my hair out of the way. One of his hands trailed over my shoulder and down my back to grasp the base of the zip as the other gripped the zipper itself. I could almost feel my back cry out in pleasure as the tight pressure of the dress eased off as Dimitri slowly pulled my zipper down.

"Thank you." I sighed in appreciation. "That dress has been digging into my back."

His fingers lightly traced over my skin and my cheeks flushed. "Does that feel better?"

"Mmm." His fingers pressed slightly harder against my skin as he massaged the tense muscles in my back. "That feels sooo good."

He stepped forwards, and I felt as his back pressed against mine lightly and his breath tickled my ear.

I turned around, loving the way that his fingers continued to trace across the bare skin of my back, as his dark eyes blazed into mine. The desire and longing was clear to see in his gaze, and I felt my own breathing grow heavier as mine reflected the same thing back at him.

"Kiss me."

"What?" His eyes widened, and flickered down to my lips automatically.

"Kiss me, please." He didn't hesitate this time. His lips crushed against mine passionately, as his arms clutched me tighter. This kiss was simply raw, energetic desire. As it deepened and held, my hand trailed up and across the broad expanse of his chest. I tugged at the neckline of his top. "Take it off."

He pulled back for a second, his lips trailing down my neck as he pulled up his t-shirt, before breaking the kiss so he could take it off completely.

Greedily, my eyes scanned across his chest; hungrily taking in the sight of each ripple of his muscles from his erratic breathing. My fingers reached out on their own accord to trace his defined abdominals. He shivered and leant down to kiss me once more as his hands slid up my back and eased my dress straps down my arms. The material pooled at my feet and I stepped forward to press my chest against Dimitri's.

"Roza." His voice was a growl as he grasped my waist and carried me over to the bed. We collapsed on top of the quilt and his grip only tightened as he rolled so that I was laid out on top of him.

"Mmmm." It was the moan that slipped from my mouth that snapped me back into reality.

I gasped and pulled back sharply, just as Dimitri froze completely.

We stayed in that position for a good thirty seconds; staring directly into each other's eyes as our rapid pants slowed and levelled off. Dimitri's lips were swollen and red, and I was pretty sure that mine didn't look much different.

His eyes were wide with shock, and I suddenly realised exactly what I was wearing – or rather, what I wasn't.

"Sorry." My voice was breathy. "I didn't mean to go so far."

"I- I didn't-" I didn't give him time to finish. His voice was a breathy as mine was and I scrambled to get up. My cheeks flushed as his voice cut off and his eyes swept over me. Me in my bra, underwear and tights. I squeaked and grabbed at my dress, holding it up in a desperate attempt to keep my body hidden from his sight before he stood up. "Rose-"

He started to walk towards me; and in a fit of panic I turned around and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind me.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed this chapter<strong>**and once again, I'm so sorry for the late update. The next update will definitely be on Monday, or _maybe_ this Friday, _if_ I have the time to reply to reviews and post while I'm at school. The link for Rose's dress is on my profile, near the bottom. Please take a look, and I hope you'll like it! xx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven.**

**If there's a particular chapter or part of a chapter that you'd like to see in DPOV please let me know. I am going to do a DPOV chapter, but it's going to move the story along. It's not going to re-cap heavily on every single thing that has happened, but if there's something specific you'd like, let me know!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed, favourited or alerted this story!**

**I just want to clarify a few things since quite a few people have asked about it in their reviews. Rose is not horrendously overweight. She just perceives herself as being big, in relation to other people she knows. She's got three kids and hasn't had the time to get back into shape, so she's more un-toned (if that's a word) than 'big'. Ummm, In Britain I'd say she's a size 12-14. In America that would be a 8-10? I'm not too sure about other countries; I just know that American sizes are 4 sizes smaller than ours. And the cheesecake thing wasn't because she's out of shape, there's genuinely a shop in Loughborough that's called 'The Cheesecake Shop' that sells heavenly cheesecake! I've eaten an entire one on my own before, and I'm a size 10-12, the cake is simply that good! :D**

**And for those of you who are a bit confused, a jumper is what I think you know as a sweater or pullover in America. If there's anything else that's troubling you, please let me know!**

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><p>"Oh God, Oh God, Oh God." I'd showered, dressed and was currently staring into the mirror, wondering who the hell was reflected back at me. The person I saw in there wasn't Rosemarie Hathaway, the Rose I was now, with three kids and tough jobs and a life that didn't seem to be able to go to plan.<p>

No, this... woman was a stranger. She looked like me, like the me I'd known forever, yet there were gaping differences between us.

Her hair was tousled and mussed, like someone had run their fingers through it in excitement, despite the fact that it was pulled up into a bun. Her face was flushed, but had a healthy glow; while her lips were slightly bruised and reddened. Like the first time I'd gone on a date with Adrian, and we'd kissed, and hadn't been able to stop kissing each other until my dad had opened the front door to see why it was taking so long for me to get inside... I shook my head. That was the past, and the past was done. I wasn't a shy, inexperienced, naïve teenager anymore.

So why, despite my obvious body insecurities, did I look like I'd just gone through the best experience of my life?

My cheeks were flushed, yet they couldn't stop pulling the corners of my mouth up into a smile. My hands trembled slightly as I lifted my fingers to touch my lips, relishing in the memory of Dimitri's mouth crushed against mine, holding care and desire and what felt like the starting of... love in his touch. My eyes were bright and full of life. There was a sparkle in them that had been absent for years. A flare of happiness for myself, of contentment. How had that all stemmed from a kiss that had gone too far?

I didn't know.

But I had to face Dimitri. I stared at the stranger in the mirror for a minute more before I picked up my clothes and towel, and opened the bathroom door.

To see Dimitri stood in the hallway, leant against the wall. I squeaked and slammed the door shut once again before mentally slapping myself.

_Get a grip Rose! He's probably just waiting to use the shower. He had a towel hung over his shoulder... didn't he?_

I bit my lip nervously before I opened the door once again and poked my head out – with my eyes squeezed tightly shut.

"I'm still here Roza."

I cracked one eye open and felt heat flood my cheeks as my gaze met Dimitri's. He didn't look angry or disgusted... in fact... he looked sad.

"What's wrong?"

He didn't answer me. Instead he shook his head and asked a question of his own. "Are you finished in the bathroom?"

I nodded and moved out of the way so he could step through. Though there was only inches of space between us, his silence and the fact that he didn't look at me as he passed made it seem as though there was a million miles separating us from each other.

Once the bathroom door shut behind him quietly I sighed and made my way back into his bedroom. I didn't know whether he still wanted me to even stay over so I sat down near the foot of the bed and waited for him to come back out.

* * *

><p>Dimitri stayed in the shower for a long time. I had started to get cold since I was only in an old t-shirt and shorts; so I'd pulled the blanket that was hung over the end of the bed over my legs and curled up. It smelled like Dimitri, like his strong, clean, homey smell, and I breathed in deeply as my eyes squeezed shut to stop the tears from slipping out.<p>

It was my own fault that Dimitri had obviously had a change of heart. I'd pushed myself onto him, and had then freaked out as though he'd tried to push me too far. Stupid, stupid, stupid Rose.

"Why aren't you in the bed?"

My eyes flashed open to see Dimitri standing in the doorway, watching me curiously. He had on cotton pyjama trousers and an old t-shirt. The tops of his shoulders looked slightly damp – he hadn't tied his hair up and it now hung around his face in loose strands.

"I- I wasn't sure if you wanted me to still sleep over – I was waiting until you got out of the bathroom."

His voice was a blank monotone when he answered. "It's up to you Rose. If you'd prefer to go home, I'll take you home. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"I don't want to be any trouble. If it's easier for you to drop me back in the morning then I'll stay here. If you don't want me to stay then I won't force my company on you."

He sighed and scrubbed at his face tiredly. "Just stay Rose. I'll sleep on the settee and drop you back in the morning."

"No." I scrambled to get off the bed. "It's your house; I'll sleep on the sofa."

He shook his head, a stubborn expression covering his face. "You're the guest, so you get the bed. Just get a good night's sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

My hand on his arm stopped him from walking away completely.

"I'm sorry."

He turned back to face me, confusion covering his features. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything."

"I did. I overreacted and now I've messed everything up between us. This was such a good night, and I've ruined it. I'm sorry for that."

"You haven't ruined it Rose." His voice was soft and cautious.

"I have. I- I acted like you'd ripped my clothes off or something and freaked out when I was the one to start it.

"It's not your fault. You told me that you weren't ready, and I still let you do it. I still did it. I should have stopped myself but I didn't."

"N-" His finger on my lips stopped me. "It's not your fault Rose."

"Then why aren't you going to sleep in the bed with me?" He didn't answer. "Exactly. I messed things up, and I hurt your feelings and I'm sorry." I paused and ducked my head so he wouldn't see the tears pooling in my eyes. "I think it would be better if I went home. It's not fair to you."

"Okay."

I nodded my head morosely before turning and walking over to the bed so I could pick up my things.

"Why are you picking up your clothes?"

I turned to see Dimitri peeling back the covers on the bed. "Because I'm going home?"

"Why?"

Confusion laced both of our voices.

"Because you agree that it would be better for me to go home?"

He shook his head and climbed into the bed before opening his arms to me. "I meant okay as in, okay I'll sleep in the bed with you. It's a misunderstanding, and we've both talked it through and apologised."

I stood there, dumbstruck, as he scooted across to the far side of the bed before patting the spot next to him. "Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

I gaped like a fish for a few more seconds vat a complete loss for words.

He laughed and patted the spot once more. "Roza, just get in the bed. Besides, that settee is absolutely horrible to sleep on." I nodded and climbed in before giggling as Dimitri tugged me so that I was lying down and tucked me in. "Do you need anything before I switch the lights off?"

"No, I'm good."

He grinned and leant away from me for a second to switch the lamp off, before I felt him shift so that we were closer together.

Cautiously, I wriggled slightly so that I could rest my head against his chest before grinning as I felt his body turn to the side so he could wrap his arms around me.

"It feels strange, doesn't it?"

He paused for a second before answering my question.

"Yes, but in a good way."

I nodded and let my fingers trail across his chest as I yawned. "In an amazing way. But it still feels weird to be sleeping in a bed – and then I feel weird for saying I feel weird when it should be normal." I rubbed at my eye tiredly. "If that makes sense."

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "In a confusing way, it actually does make sense." He rubbed small circles on my lower back before he broke the comfortable silence that had started to build up between us. "Why did you react like that?"

I thought my answer through before I spoke. "Do you mean the kiss, or what happened after?" _When I freaked and ran into the bathroom._

"After."

"I'm not really too sure. I wanted you to kiss me so badly, and when I'm with you… I forget all of my body worries. I know that I'm not stick thin, but it doesn't bother me. I feel beautiful and perfect, like I don't have to put on a show and be the tough, invincible mum, who can deal with anything you throw at her. But then, when the kiss stopped, reality slammed into me, and I realised that you could see me and I panicked."

"But why?"

"Because I don't want you to see my body the way it is. You're so… toned and muscly and I'm… not. I'm a size fourteen, a twelve on a good day, and some days my body just feels so ugly and inferior, especially when I compare it to yours."

He shook his head and pressed his lips to my temple. "Your body is fine the way it is Roza. You're not eighteen, and yes it shows. However, it also shows that you've had a family and _lived_. It's natural. It's beautiful. You are – every inch of you – beautiful."

"I believe that when I'm with you. And I'm sorry for pushing when I'm not ready for you to see me."

He nodded. "And a size twelve, or even a fourteen isn't big. I don't think it's a matter of your body being ugly or flabby or anything else, you just need to tone up. You shouldn't feel inferior, especially not to me. I use the school gym almost every day to keep my fitness up. You don't have the time to do that, and your body is in good shape when you take everything into consideration." He ran his fingers through my hair and I felt my body relax and mould into his. "And like I said before, I'm sorry too for not stopping you; and I'll wait until you're ready."

"Thank you."

We laid together in silence for a few minutes before I felt Dimitri's breathing start to slow and even out. "Goodnight Dimitri."

"Goodnight Roza."

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning to the strangest sensation.<p>

I was stretched out, but wasn't tensed like I was afraid I was going to fall off of the bed at any second. Blearily, I opened my eyes to see a huge mahogany wardrobe directly in front of me. I frowned. _I don't have a wardrobe in my front room._ I glanced down to see that I was laid out on a bed, with someone's arms wrapped tightly around my waist and my back crushed against something warm and hard. A small snore sounded in my ear and I turned over in confusion.

Dimitri was spooned up against me, his face pressed against my hair, as he snored gently. A hint of a smile was on his lips, but when I moved so that I could turn to face him properly; it disappeared as a small frown worked its way onto his forehead.

I giggled mentally as his arms wrapped round me tighter, pulling my body closer until there was no space left between us, and the frown disappeared.

"Dimitri." I shook his shoulder gently a few times, and giggled out loud when he groaned and buried his face into the pillow.

"Roza?" His voice was sleepy and hoarse.

"Yup." I stroked his hair gently. "Your clock says it's gone ten. Time to get up and get home I think – Mia's got things to do other than babysitting my children."

He groaned once more and nodded before sitting up. "I'll make breakfast."

* * *

><p>"Mum!"<p>

"You're back!"

"Mummy!"

I barely had time to put my bags down and say goodbye to Mia before Tom barrelled into me, followed by Alyssa and then Sophia bringing up the rear.

"You were gone for ages!"

"Where did you go?"

"You weren't here this morning to wake me up!"

"And we didn't have pancakes!"

"But Aunty Mia let us watch Thomas the tank engine."

"Dad."

Alyssa and Tom shut up immediately as my stunned eyes flashed to Sophia. Sophia who was stood by the door with her arms outstretched towards Dimitri.

Dimitri had frozen too, but when Sophia repeated her request he seemed to snap out of it.

The three of us watched in silent shock as Dimitri picked up Sophia and cradled her to his chest tenderly as she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

She rested her face in the crook of his neck, yawned and promptly fell asleep.

Dimitri smiled down at the top of her head before his stunned eyes met mine.

"Well what did you guys expect?" Alyssa's incredulous voice made me jump. "You think we haven't noticed the fact that you've started singing in the shower-"

Tom butted in. "And you really shouldn't mummy because your voice isn't very good for singing."

Alyssa elbowed him in the stomach. "That's irrelevant Tom, now shut up." She turned back to face me. "And you're always reading a secret note in the mornings that you won't let us see-"

"They're love notes from your boyfriend." Tom puckered up his lips and pretended to kiss the air. "That's what you do when he comes round when you think we're in asleep. Like that time I saw you in the bathroom."

My jaw dropped and a quick glance at Dimitri showed that he'd had a similar reaction.

Alyssa continued. "And he bought nappies for Sophia and hair clips for me and colouring books for Tom. And there was that time when he came over before we went to bed and he helped me with my maths homework."

Tom interrupted once more. "They're all things that a dad does! But our daddy doesn't." His little face fell, and then brightened up once more. "But even though he's not our dad, he does the things a dad should do. So that's probably why Sophia called him dad. Because she doesn't know our proper daddy. Dimitri's all she's got."

Alyssa nodded her agreement. "He makes you happy; not sad like Adrian did. Dads are supposed to make mums smile, not cry."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, it's a lot shorter than I wanted it to be, and it didn't end how I wanted it to but it's nearly midnight over here and I have school tomorrow morning and this is all that I could get done so I apologise. But I hope you liked it, and I'm sorry for the shortness and the late update! Xx<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight.**

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated for a couple of weeks. But my exams finally finished on Friday, Saturday was my birthday and Sunday was my friend's birthday. Then I was out all day Monday, so I've only just finished getting everything sorted. Phew! It's been a busy month. But I finally got time to sit down and finish off this chapter, which I hope you'll enjoy. :) How about, as a belated bday prezzie, and to encourage me to write the next chapter by Thursday, I get lots and lots of lovely reviews? Seems fair to me. :D xx**

**For UnderworldVampirePrincess and Allie Belikov here it is. DPOV of the shower and when Sophia called him dad! Please note, this isn't the full DPOV chapter that I've been planning, that one is still waiting for the right moment :D**

**This chap is half DPOV and then half RPOV.**

**Thank you very much to D'OB for her brilliant idea and solution to the bed problem. Full credit goes to you for this idea, and thank you very much for allowing me to use it in my story. :) xx**

* * *

><p>I sighed as Rose squeaked as she saw me and slammed the bathroom door shut once more. I really didn't know how to feel, how to react to her rejection. It hurt, of course it hurt, but I could understand why she'd done it. She didn't know just how much I cared for her, how deep my feelings were, or the fact that they seemed to increase every time I saw her.<p>

I sighed once again and ran my hands through my hair. How on Earth had this woman, this temptress caught my attention and twisted my world upside down in six short months? How did she make me feel like I was on top of the world by the sight of her smile?

And how did she not see it, not notice it every time she looked into my eyes?

My inner turmoil was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening once more. I waited patiently, and felt my heart clench in my chest and then drop when I saw Rose's head poke out – but with her eyes squeezed shut, like she didn't want to see me.

"I'm still here Roza."

One of her beautiful brown eyes opened and a delicate flush rose up to colour her cheeks as she met my gaze. I felt the weight of her stare as she looked at me nervously, but then it changed to one of concern and worry.

"What's wrong?"

How to put it into words? How to tell her that even though her actions had been unintentional... the way she'd stared at me, horror struck in the bedroom and then once again when she realised I was waiting to use the bathroom... I shook my head in an attempt to get rid of the grimace that threatened to take over my face.

"Are you finished in the bathroom?"

She nodded and moved out of the way so I could pass by. The movement of the air as I stepped past caused her beautiful vanilla scent to wash over me, which only tortured me further and so, as I shut the bathroom door, I didn't look back.

* * *

><p>I sighed and scrubbed at my face as hard as I possibly could. Maybe if I could scrub even harder, I'd be able to erase the mental images I had.<p>

Rose staring at me hungrily.

Rose in her underwear.

Rose slamming the bathroom door shut in my face.

That one hurt the most and passed in front of my eyes too frequently for my liking.

The last ten minutes repeatedly swam around my head until I couldn't stand it anymore. I turned the water as low as possible before lifting the shower head so that the stream covered me from head to toe. Cold water to soothe my nerves and calm my mind. Once my fingers and toes started to go numb and my skin felt like an ice pack, I turned the heat back up again.

I sighed happily as the feeling returned and my skin flushed with the warmth before switching off the water so I could get out, get dressed and face Rose.

Easier said than done.

She was curled up at the end of my bed, her body wrapped up in an old blanket I kept there in case I felt cold during the night. She looked so small and vulnerable, and afraid… and the image of her face the night she told me about her past with Adrian flashed in my mind. The words that had been on the tip of my tongue, to question her strange behaviour and make her see sense dried up in my throat.

"Why aren't you in the bed?"

Her head shot up, and her startled eyes met mine before she answered.

"I- I wasn't sure if you wanted me to still sleep over – I was waiting until you got out of the bathroom."

That sent a strange pang through my chest. Did she really think that I didn't want her to stay, not just tonight, but forever? Had I really come across as brash and made her feel so unwelcome that she'd rather go home and sleep on her sofa? "It's up to you Rose. If you'd prefer to go home, I'll take you home. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"I don't want to be any trouble. If it's easier for you to drop me back in the morning then I'll stay here. If you don't want me to stay then I won't force my company on you."

I sighed and scrubbed at his face tiredly. I didn't want to argue and I could see her hesitance and unease starting to resurface. "Just stay Rose. I'll sleep on the settee and drop you back in the morning."

She scrambled off the bed as soon as the words left my mouth. "No. It's your house; I'll sleep on the sofa."

My mother had raised me to be a gentlemen, and to treat women right, so there was no way that I was going to let Rose sleep on my hard, lumpy sofa while I stretched out and enjoyed the comfort of my bed. "You're the guest, so you get the bed. Just get a good night's sleep. I'll see you in the morning." I was tempted to lean in and kiss her forehead, just to feel her soft skin underneath my lips, but decided against it. I didn't want to frighten her anymore, and kissing her might have been enough to make her change her mind and want to go home.

I hung up my towel over the edge of the door, and was about to walk down the hall when her hand touched my arm. It was light, but sent shockwaves of heat through my body. How did Rose always do that to me? Make me feel like I was on fire and only she could make it better? "I'm sorry."

That threw me. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything."

"I did. I overreacted and now I've messed everything up between us. This was such a good night, and I've ruined it. I'm sorry for that."

I wanted to laugh at the absurdity of what she was saying, and cry at the same time. Years of living under Adrian's rule had made her wary and automatically assume that any fault was due to her. "You haven't ruined it Rose."

"I have. I- I acted like you'd ripped my clothes off or something and freaked out when I was the one to start it."

"It's not your fault. You told me that you weren't ready, and I still let you do it. I still did it. I should have stopped myself but I didn't."

"N-"

I placed a finger over her lips to cut off whatever new arguments she'd come up with. "It's not your fault Rose."

"Then why aren't you going to sleep in the bed with me?" I didn't have an answer for that. Well, I did, but it wasn't one that I was willing to share just yet.. "Exactly. I messed things up, and I hurt your feelings and I'm sorry." I paused and ducked my head so he wouldn't see the tears pooling in my eyes. "I think it would be better if I went home. It's not fair to you."

"Okay." She felt the same way as I did, and it was stupid to keep this argument going. I needed to sleep with Rose tonight, to hold her in my arms and let her know that she was cared for and loved.

She nodded, and I assumed she was going to get something before she got in the bed, but she didn't "Why are you picking up your clothes?"

"Because I'm going home?"

"Why?"

She seemed just as confused as I was.

"Because you agree that it would be better for me to go home?"

I shook my head before climbing into the bed and holding my arms out for her to slip into my embrace. "I meant okay as in, okay I'll sleep in the bed with you. It's a misunderstanding, and we've both talked it through and apologised."

She didn't move, so I moved across slightly more and patted the spot next to me.

"Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

She gawped at me as I laughed and patted the spot once more. "Roza, just get in the bed. Besides, that settee is absolutely horrible to sleep on." She finally moved and climbed in before giggling as I tucked her in. "Do you need anything before I switch the lights off?"

"No, I'm good."

I couldn't help but grin as I flicked the light off and snuggled down next to her. I could feel the hesitance in her movements as she wriggled to rest her head against my chest, and unable to help myself, I wrapped my arms around her waist tightly.

"It feels strange, doesn't it?"

I paused to fully understand what she meant.

"Yes, but in a good way."

Her fingers trailed across my chest, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as she yawned. "In an amazing way. But it still feels weird to be sleeping in a bed – and then I feel weird for saying I feel weird when it should be normal. If that makes sense."

I chuckled at her roundabout explanation before kissing the top of her head. "In a confusing way, it actually does make sense." I rubbed small circles on my lower back to help relieve some of the tension in her muscles before I started to get answers to the question that had been bugging me the most. "Why did you react like that?"

She paused for a long while before she spoke. "Do you mean the kiss, or what happened after?"

"After." Definitely after.

"I'm not really too sure. I wanted you to kiss me so badly, and when I'm with you… I forget all of my body worries. I know that I'm not stick thin, but it doesn't bother me. I feel beautiful and perfect, like I don't have to put on a show and be the tough, invincible mum, who can deal with anything you throw at her. But then, when the kiss stopped, reality slammed into me, and I realised that you could see me and I panicked."

"But why?"

"Because I don't want you to see my body the way it is. You're so… toned and muscly and I'm… not. I'm a size fourteen, a twelve on a good day, and some days my body just feels so ugly and inferior, especially when I compare it to yours."

I'm pretty sure my eyes almost bugged out of my head. She was absolutely crazy if she thought that she was ugly, in any way. "Your body is fine the way it is Roza. You're not eighteen, and yes it shows. However, it also shows that you've had a family and _lived_. It's natural. It's beautiful. You are – every inch of you – beautiful."

"I believe that when I'm with you. And I'm sorry for pushing when I'm not ready for you to see me."

I nodded even though she probably couldn't see me. "And a size twelve, or even a fourteen isn't big. I don't think it's a matter of your body being ugly or flabby or anything else, you just need to tone up. You shouldn't feel inferior, especially not to me. I use the school gym almost every day to keep my fitness up. You don't have the time to do that, and your body is in good shape when you take everything into consideration." I ran my fingers through her hair and I felt as her body relaxed and moulded into mine. "And like I said before, I'm sorry too for not stopping you; and I'll wait until you're ready."

"Thank you."

We laid together in silence for a few minutes before I felt sleep trying to take me over.

"Goodnight Dimitri."

"Goodnight Roza."

I waited until I heard a slight snore work its way out of her mouth before I kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear. "I love you."

* * *

><p>I stood back to let Rose and her kids have a few minutes of privacy after their night apart.<p>

"Mum!"

"You're back!"

"Mummy!"

I watched, with barely concealed amusement as Tom barrelled into her, followed by Alyssa and then Sophia bringing up the rear. But Sophia soon lost interest after she'd hugged her mother and her elder siblings started to pelt Rose with comments from last night. Her bright green eyes slowly observed the hallway before landing on me as I stood by the door and lighting up.

"Dad."

Time stood still as my jaw dropped open and shocked gasps came from the other end of the hallway.

"Dad." This time, she wriggled her fingers at me in an unspoken request to pick her up, and my legs moved me forwards without my brains input. I couldn't help myself from reaching down and gingerly picking up the tiny two year old before cradling her to my chest like she obviously wanted to be as she wrapped her chubby little arms around my neck.

A strange sort of warmth filled my chest as a smile worked its way onto my lips. This felt different, strange but in an amazing way like Rose had said last night. It was different to the way I felt when I saw my niece and nephews, yet slightly familiar, that sense of wanting to protect and care for the small child in my arms with everything I had.

She rested her face in the crook of my neck, yawned and promptly fell asleep.

That feeling flared up in me, to the point that it was almost unbearable as my stunned eyes me Rose's. Hers showed the same mix of emotions as mine, yet happiness was shining in there too.

"Well what did you guys expect?" Alyssa's incredulous voice made me jump slightly as she turned to her mother. "You think we haven't noticed the fact that you've started singing in the shower-"

Tom butted in. "And you really shouldn't mummy because your voice isn't very good for singing."

Alyssa elbowed him in the stomach but he didn't seem to mind. "That's irrelevant Tom, now shut up. And you're always reading a secret note in the mornings that you won't let us see-"

"They're love notes from your boyfriend." Tom puckered up his lips and pretended to kiss the air. "That's what you do when he comes round when you think we're in asleep. Like that time I saw you in the bathroom."

My jaw even though I wanted to laugh. I hadn't realised that he still held a slight grudge against me for that.

Alyssa continued. "And he bought nappies for Sophia and hair clips for me and colouring books for Tom. And there was that time when he came over before we went to bed and he helped me with my maths homework."

Tom interrupted once more. "They're all things that a dad does! But our daddy doesn't." His little face fell, and then brightened up once more. "But even though he's not our dad, he does the things a dad should do. So that's probably why Sophia called him dad. Because she doesn't know our proper daddy. Dimitri's all she's got."

Alyssa nodded her agreement. "He makes you happy; not sad like Adrian did. Dads are supposed to make mums smile, not cry."

I nodded to myself. Rose's children were so smart, and so caring, and they deserved the best in life, not a waste like their father. If I ever saw that disgraceful rat, I was going to put my fist _through_ his face. What he'd done to Rose and the children was unbelievable, and I'd make sure that he knew it. I was protective of all of them, and it warmed my heart to know that they felt the same.

* * *

><p><strong>RPOV. (Two weeks after her date.)<strong>

There was a general feeling of happiness and excitement in the staffroom since it was a Friday. We were all glad the week was over, and that some of us didn't have to work the stressful Saturday shifts. Despite that contentment, we were all squished into the staffroom since it was our lunch break. Well, not entirely squished since the majority of the workers had gone outside to have a quick cigarette while the weather was good. Meredith was fiddling with the dials on the radio – trying to find a good station to tune into.

"Guys, I'm going to put it onto GEM so we can listen to the requests since we're all a bunch of soppy romantics."

There was a murmur of agreement and laughter throughout the room and everyone settled down somewhere. A few hushed conversations started to take place, but like me, the majority wanted to hear the song requests and dedications that people phoned or texted in. I was about to take a bite out of my sandwich when I felt a sharp poke in my side, and turned to come face to face with Mia's baby blue ones.

"Think it's gonna be our lucky day today Rose?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Although I wish I could say yes, I know that's all it is. A wish. Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow never comes." We both laughed and she sat down in the seat next to me as the song ended and the presenters took over once more. "But you have your Mr. Right, who is amazingly sweet. I bet he'd do something like that for you."

I shook my head. "Some things, I seriously doubt."

She didn't reply as we focussed back on what the presenter was saying.

"…Okay listeners, we have one last request and then that's it for the hairbrush hour. It's a text request from… Dimitri, who says... 'Please dedicate this song to my beautiful girlfriend. It's been six months since we got together, and every day I spend with you is a blessing. Roza, this song says it all.'... I'm assuming that Roza is the lucky girlfriend, so for you Roza from Dimitri we have Adele's 'Make You Feel My Love'. The voice of the presenter faded out as the piano intro started.

_When the rain is blowing in your face,  
>And the whole world is on your case,<br>I could offer you a warm embrace  
>To make you feel my love.<em>

_When the evening shadows and the stars appear,  
>And there is no one there to dry your tears,<br>I could hold you for a million years  
>To make you feel my love.<br>_  
><em>I know you haven't made your mind up yet,<br>But I would never do you wrong.  
>I've known it from the moment that we met,<br>No doubt in my mind where you belong.  
><em>  
><em>I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue,<br>I'd go crawling down the avenue.  
>No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do<br>To make you feel my love.  
><em>  
><em>The storms are raging on the rolling sea<br>And on the highway of regret.  
>Though winds of change are throwing wild and free,<br>You ain't seen nothing like me yet._

_I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.  
>Nothing that I wouldn't do.<br>Go to the ends of the Earth for you,  
>To make you feel my love<em>

The song faded out as the entire workforce stared at me in shock.

"Oh my Holy motherfucking damn." Mia was staring at me, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. "He did it. He actually did it. Oh. My. Gosh. Rose!" She suddenly shrieked and grabbed me into a hug while she squealed in my ear. "You got a dedication! I- I can't believe it. He loves you! He loves you!"

I stared back at her, wide-eyed in shock as the murmur spread like wildfire.

"But... he hasn't said it yet." My murmur was weak but she heard it.

"Who cares! Didn't you hear the lyrics to that song? Even if he hasn't said it, he feels it!"

"Do you really think so?"

She grinned at me as her blonde ringlets bobbed up and down as she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Definitely."

* * *

><p>To say Dimitri was pleased at my reaction would be an understatement. I texted him, asking him to come over early, and he barely set foot inside the door before I was all over him like a rash. My arms were wrapped around his neck as my lips kissed every inch of his face that I could reach before almost fusing themselves to his lips. Only the not so subtle "ewwwww stop doing that! It's so gross to see my mum snogging someone." from Alyssa had made me remember where I was and pull back reluctantly. Dimitri's cheeks were flushed pink and his hair was messy from where I'd run my fingers through it. That day we'd stayed up until almost three in the morning, just hugging and kissing and talking to each other before we fell asleep in each other's arms.<p>

It had been the best night of my life.

* * *

><p>It had been another two weeks since my date with Dimitri, and everything was continuing to go well. He'd practically moved in to our cramped little flat, and Sophia now called him dad constantly. I watched as they walked around the furniture section of Tesco's with a smile on my face. Sophia, barely a foot high was holding onto Dimitri's large hand as she led him, a grown man who was well over six feet tall, around the shop and they talked about some random topic that interested them both. One minute it was ponies, the next it was flowers, and then after that it could be something as random as a jigsaw puzzle.<p>

After Sophia called Dimitri 'dad' the first time and we got over the initial shock, not much happened. He'd put Sophia to lay down in her bed and Tom and Alyssa had shrugged and run off to play.

Tom had run back in and warned Dimitri, saying, "Just because Sophia calls you dad, it doesn't mean you can start being mean. You have to still treat my mummy like a princess."

Dimitri nodded and knelt down so that they could see eye to eye. "I promise to always treat your mummy like the most beautiful, perfect princess in the world Tom."

Satisfied with that answer, Tom had run back into the front room to play with his hot wheels or do whatever it was that he'd been doing before I got home.

"I found one!" Dimitri's booming voice shook me out of my memories. We were looking for a new sofa, or to be more specific a pull out sofa bed

It was a creamy beige, medium sized sofa, that seated three people. The tag on the side showed that two of the cushions were taken off so that that side could be pulled out so that two people could sleep in it, while the other cushion lifted up to reveal a small storage space.

I nodded. "It's better than Thomas the Tank Engine or Barbie, but would it be big enough for you to fit on?"

He cracked a grin. "I'm not that tall Roza."

"Yes you are."

"You're as tall like our house. You're a giant." Sophia piped up.

Dimitri threw her an amused smile before scooping her up into his arms and holding her tightly so that she couldn't escape.

"Is that so?"

She laughed and nodded.

"Are you sure?"

A giggle burst out of her mouth as she nodded once more. "With all my toes and fingers."

Dimitri gasped in mock horror. "All of your toes and fingers? You're that sure?"

She nodded and he laughed. "Well I guess I'll just have to change your mind."

He shifted so that she was held securely in one arm before his spare hand poked her in her sides gently. "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind?"

She shook her head, her eyes glinting with anticipation before Dimitri started to tickle her tummy. Light, childish squeals of laughter and deep, rumbling chuckles filled the air as Dimitri tickled her until she threw herself forwards, shielding her tummy from his fingers.

"No more dad!"

He poked her side. "Say the magic words."

Another laugh burst out of her mouth. "You're not a giant. You're not a giant!"

Dimitri laughed with her before passing her to me so she could catch her breath. She buried her face in my neck and peaked at Dimitri out of the corner of her eye. He saw and pretended to reach to tickle her again, making her shriek and clutch at me tighter as she giggled again. "My tummy hurts."

That made me laugh as Dimitri held my free hand and linked out fingers.

Tom and Alyssa came running up then. "We found another one!"

Tom's excited voice burst in. "It's got Thomas the Tank Engine _and_ Barbie on the covers!"

"How on Earth is that even possible?" They both shrugged, so I did too. "No Thomas the Tank Engine or Barbie. Keep looking guys."

Sophia wriggled to get out of my arms. "Can I go with Lyssa?"

I nodded and set her down, smiling as Alyssa took her sisters hand in hers and lead her away carefully.

Dimitri's arm wrapped around my waist. "What do you think about this one?"

"I like it, but…" I sighed. Even though Dimitri didn't care about the fact that he had to pay for the majority of the stuff when we went on dates, I still felt self-conscious sometimes. "Even with my staff discount, it's a little too expensive."

"Roza." He tilted my face up to meet his. "You _need_ a proper bed. You don't want to buy a proper one because you don't want a bed in your front room, so this is the next best thing. We've been in shops all day; this is the best one that we've found so far. How much do you get off with your staff discount?"

"Fifteen percent."

This one is a hundred and fifty pounds, so with the discount it'll only be a hundred and five. You got us the discount, so I'll pay the rest."

I shook my head. "I've been saving up a little, we'll split the cost."

His eyes regarded me seriously for a long minute before he nodded. "Sure?"

I nodded and a mischievous grin popped up on my face. "You know what we need to do now don't you?"

"Buy it?"

I shook my head and grinned slyly. "Test it."

His cheeks flushed as he swallowed and his eyes flickered between me and the bed a few times. "I don't think this is the right place to do that."

"Oh, really? I think it's perfect." His jaw dropped, and I took advantage of his shock to push him backwards onto the bed.

He wasn't prepared, and so it was enough to make him topple without the chance to regain his balance before he landed with an "oof!"

I laughed and hopped onto the bed beside him. "Think it's bouncy enough?"

He scowled up at me. "You little trickster."

"What did you think I meant?" He didn't answer and I laughed at the guilty expression covering his face. "Get your mind out of the gutter Mr. Belikov. I only meant for us to check how effective this bed would be, both in terms of sleeping and for day-to-day use."

I giggled as I bounced a few times, before I bounced too hard and landed on top of Dimitri. "Sorry."

He laughed and kissed my lips before tucking some of hy hair behind my ear. "It's okay. It's good to see you laughing."

I smiled and leant down to press my lips to his once again, not caring that we were in the middle of my workplace, probably being gawped at by whoever was watching the security camera's during this shift.

"Mum!" Alyssa's voice was a hiss as she stormed up to the bed we were kissing on and shook my shoulder. "I am so embarrassed. We're right in the middle of the shop – where anyone could see."

"And?"

Her face practically turned purple, and to avoid a scene, I pressed a quick kiss to Dimitri's lips before hopping off of the bed. "Okay, okay. I've stopped now. Let's go pay."

* * *

><p>I hummed happily to myself as I started to peel some potatoes. Today, we were going to have a full roast dinner, despite the fact that it was a Saturday. The sofa had been delivered an hour after we arrived home, and Dimitri had started to set it up straight away. That had been done pretty quickly, now he and the kids were rearranging the front room, while I got a head start on the diner. Then, when they were done, they'd come in and help me.<p>

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I frowned as I glanced at my watch before heading to the front door. We weren't expecting any visitors today. Once I got to the door, I once again cursed myself for not remembering to ask the council to give me a door with a peephole.

I opened the door just as Tom came out into the hallway, so he saw the person standing outside before I did. His posture stiffened and his eyes went wide as my head snapped around to see who was there.

My heart faltered and my blood ran cold.

"Hello Rose."

* * *

><p><strong>Argh, don't kill me for leaving it like this! Let's see who can guess who turned up. I'd appreciate it if everyone reviewed, so let's see if you guys can give me my highest ever number of reviews for this chapter. I'm starting chapter nine now! xx<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine.**

**Some good news and some bad news. Good news first – this story is obviously going to be a lot more than ten chapters long! :) I might break it up slightly so that it doesn't become too long, and make the last part I have planned into a sequel – we'll see how it goes. Bad news - I go on holiday on Sunday. It was my prom tonight, so I tried to write whenever I had the chance while I got ready, and now I'm home again I'm writing. Eh, prom this year wasn't very good anyway, my evening would have been better if I'd gone clubbing. I'm working all day tomorrow, but if I manage to write another chapter before I go on Sunday morning, I'll post it up for you guys! However, if I can't, I'll be taking a writing pad with me, so I'll update as soon as I get back, and if I get the chance to use my auntie's computer while I'm on holiday, I'll post while I'm there. Hopefully, you guys won't have to wait until the 27****th**** for my next update, but if you do, I apologise.**

**Sorry that I haven't replied to reviews for chap 8 or sent a thank you message to those who have either added me or this story to their faves or alerts lists; it was either post this chapter, or take the time to reply etc, and I figured you'd rather read the next bit of the story. I'll reply to everyone's reviews, for the previous chapter and this one when I get back from my holiday. xx**

* * *

><p>My body locked up, but my throat still managed to choke out his name.<p>

"Adrian."

What on Earth was he doing here? Why was he here? I hadn't seen or heard from him in two years, from across a court room as I struggled to settle Sophia who was crying for her bottle, and placate Tom who was whining that he was bored and hungry, and calm Alyssa who was bawling her eyes out.

His eyes, the same eyes as my three beautiful children, were cold and cruel as they took in my form. His lip curled in disgust, and I knew what he was seeing. Instinctively I shrank back, not wanting him to see me and judge me. To call me fat and make fun of my stretch marks, to make me feel ugly and unlovable like he did before.

His eyes registered my change in posture and lit up. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

I shut my eyes as I took a deep breath. I was trying to find the courage and confidence that Dimitri had helped me find. I was trying to find the woman I'd been a few hours ago, the woman who'd been laughing and joking with her boyfriend as they frolicked in the bed section of a supermarket, not caring who saw them.

She wasn't there anymore.

I opened my eyes, to see Adrian's, curious and blazing. My hesitance wasn't good enough, he wanted obedience.

"No." It was a whisper, but shock flared in both of our eyes. His, from shock that he'd lost some of the power he held over me, and that I hadn't bowed to his wishes; and mine for the fact that I'd actually told him no.

"Mummy?" Tom's voice was scared and unsure.

Adrian's eyes flickered to him, and his mouth pressed into a thin line. "Come here Tom." His voice was sharp, commanding, and I didn't like it one bit.

"Go inside Tom. I'll be there in a minute." Mine was soft; to comfort him and make him like everything was going to be okay.

His large green eyes were filled with tears as they flickered between me and Adrian a few times. "I don't wanna leave you alone."

I tried to smile at him reassuringly. "I'll be fine sweetie. You don't need to worry, just go inside and I'll be right there."

"No. I want my son to come here."

That made his decision. Even though I was his mummy and he wanted to protect me, he was terrified of the man standing in front of me, and he didn't want to be anywhere near him. He turned tail and ran back into the front room.

"What have you done to him?" Adrian's voice was practically a hiss as he leant in towards my face. "You've filled his head with lies, haven't you? You've spun your fucking sob story so that I seem like a cruel heartless monster when really you were the slut who always slept around. I bet he's not even my son."

I gasped, and his words seemed to bring a little fire back into my veins. "Of course he's your son, just like how Sophia and Alyssa are your daughters. How dare you!"

"How dare I?" He laughed and took a step forwards. "You're nothing but a fat, ugly, lazy skank- in fact, I'm coming in."

He slammed the door open, causing me to stumble backwards.

"Get out, before I call-"

"Call who? The police?" He smirked in my face before trying to push past.

"Roza? Is everything okay? Tom's crying and he won't tell me what's wrong ex-" Dimitri's voice cut off as he saw my hands held up, to stop Adrian from stepping any further; and Adrian, a stranger, in my house when he clearly wasn't wanted. "What's going on?"

I felt warmer, stronger as he came to stand beside me, his arm wrapped around my waist in a protective manner.

"This is Adrian Ivashkov. He's just leaving."

"Adrian Iva-" Dimitri's voice cut off in understanding as he murmured a string of Russian before stepping towards Adrian threateningly.

"Dad." Tom's wobbly voice caused all three of our heads to snap in his direction. Confusion filled my face; I didn't expect him to refer to Adrian like that. But the fury that played across Adrian's face soon became fathomable, because it wasn't Adrian who Tom was referring to… it was Dimitri.

Several things happened at once.

Adrian's face twisted into the angry mask I'd seen hundreds of times before, Tom screamed, and I froze, ready for Adrian's fist to smash into my face.

But that never happened.

Instead, I watched in a shocked sort of fascination as Dimitri growled and stepped in front of me. He knocked Adrian's wrist aside with his left hand before grabbing him up by the collar of his shirt and slamming him against the wall.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. My. Roza. Don't look at her or her children." He wrenched Adrian away from the wall before slamming him against it again. "What kind of a man feels powerful by subduing and belittling someone else, more specifically, their wife? Someone they swore to love and to cherish for all eternity? What kind of a man are you?" He dropped Adrian to the floor. "If you're so tough, stand up and fight against someone who could handle you." Adrian stared up at him in shock, a frightened expression passing across his face as Dimitri crouched down. "No. You won't, will you? Because deep down, you're just a scared little boy who's not tough enough to take on a man. Are you?" When Adrian still didn't answer, he grabbed him by his collar once more and practically dragged him to the door before throwing him out. "And don't come back. If I _ever_ see or hear of you coming near Rose and her children, I'll personally ensure that you'll be able to see your own intestines. _Permanently_."

He slammed the door in Adrian's face before turning and storming through the flat.

A few seconds later the bathroom door slammed shut.

I counted to ten before walking through the flat after him and entering the bathroom. Dimitri was stood at the sink, repeatedly washing his hands under the hot water. He sighed loudly before flicking some water onto his face and towelling his hands dry.

"Are you okay?"

His startled eyes met mine, and I slowly walked forwards so that I could cup his face in my hands.

"I'm sorry – for losing control like that, in front of you and the kids. I shouldn't have done what I did." His breathing was ragged and his eyes were shut as he leant into my touch.

"Look at me Dimitri." Once his eyes opened, I pressed my lips to his. "Thank you. You saved me again tonight, just like you did all those months ago."

* * *

><p>Dinner that night had been a silent affair, and so had breakfast the next morning. Alyssa knew that Adrian had come around, and though nothing much had happened – I wasn't bruised and battered, she still stared at me every few minutes with huge, soulful worried eyes, as if to check to make sure that no markings had suddenly appeared on my face. Tom was silent and worried. There was none of his usual random chatter, he only spoke when spoken to and silently ate his cornflakes before getting his bag for school. I followed him into the bedroom and scooped him up into my arms, giving him a long hug as I kissed his head and reassured him that everything was fine and that no one was going to hurt him. He'd nodded and stared up at me, tears shimmering in his eyes before he scrambled off of my lap and ran to get into the car so that Dimitri could drop him at school along with Alyssa.<p>

Sophia was the only one who'd showed any signs of being her usual self, but she had picked up in the uncomfortable vibe from the night before; and so her usually perky demeanour was quiet and subdued.

I could only sigh and go about my usual daily routine, and hope that things would go back to normal soon.

* * *

><p><em>Roza, I have a last minute meeting at school about some changes they're making to our department, and a bunch of tests to mark, so I won't be home until late. If it takes too long, I won't come over so I don't disturb you. D xx<em>

I'd gotten that message as I finished my shift at work. Now it was nearly nine o'clock and Dimitri still wasn't here. Although he hadn't texted me yet to confirm the fact that he wasn't coming over, it was safe to say that he wasn't going to make it tonight.

The kids were asleep in bed, and I'd just finished tidying up, before I had my shower, when someone knocked at the door.

My heart lifted, Dimitri had managed to make it over here. Maybe he was going to sit in the kitchen and finish off his marking, but having him here was better than not having him here.

"Hey ba-" The smile on my face vanished as soon as I saw who was standing outside and I tried to slam the door shut. But they stuck their foot in the way at the last second, and the door bounced back open.

"You're not so tough when that foreign trash isn't around, are you?"

Adrian stepped inside the house and closed the door gently, as I backed up a few steps.

"Get out." My voice wobbled, but I tried to stand firm and show him that I wasn't going to give in.

"No." His eyes were cold, but his smile was wide and menacing. "Let's have the little talk that I planned to have yesterday." He stalked towards me and I glanced around helplessly. There was nothing close by for me to throw at him or use to defend myself, the phone was too far away, and it was likely that Dimitri wouldn't be coming over anytime soon, that was, if he came over at all.

"You have one last chance to leave freely Adrian." I was bluffing and he knew it.

"And what if I don't?" His voice was teasing, but sharp, a sure sign that he was getting bored of playing with me.

"Or I'll call the police. Or-"

He yawned. "I'd be gone before they even left the station. There'd be no proof I was ever here, and you'd be the one to get in trouble for wasting 'valuable police time' with silly hoax calls." His gaze sharpened and he walked directly towards me this time, stopping when there were only a few centimetres of space left between us. I was frozen, stuck in memories of years before, when I'd lived in fear of what would trigger my next beating.

Right now, part of me was screaming to simply knee him in the nuts and run, while my instinct for self-preservation yelled to stay still and hope that everything would turn out okay. Then, there was the motherly protective part of me, who was well aware of the fact that the kids were close by, sleeping peacefully and oblivious to the fact that their abusive father was in the house. There was no need for Adrian to remember they were here either, and to use them as leverage in whatever he had up his sleeve.

A cold finger trailed down and across my jaw, and instinctively I flinched backwards.

"Good girl." Adrian was practically purring at me. "I'm glad you haven't forgotten how things between us can go. If you're good, and you do what I want, everything will be perfect. If you're not-" He slapped me hard across the cheek and I gasped, both from the impact and the sharp smacking sound that ricocheted off of the walls. "-let that be a reminder."

My hand rose to cradle my burning cheek as I swallowed down the knot of tears forming in my throat. "What do you want from me Adrian? I'm out of your life, I'm not your burden anymore - I haven't been for two years. What do you want?" My voice was agonised by the time I finished speaking, but I kept my gaze firmly trained on the ground, all too aware of what the consequences would be if I raised my head to look him in the eye.

His hand clamped down on my jaw, forcing me to lift my gaze and meet his. "I want you to be completely and utterly destroyed. I thought I'd accomplished that two years ago, but it seems that no matter what I did, you just refuse to bow down and disappear." He paused and a completely evil smile took over his face. I want our children, and I'll get them."

"No." My voice was a whisper. "No, no, no, no, no, no. You can't have them. You gave them up."

"And now I want them back."

"I'm not going to let you anywhere near them." The motherly instinct in me came out in full force, boosting my confidence to the point that I stepped forward, forcing Adrian to take a step back. He looked shocked, but covered it up quickly. "I will _not_ let you take away my children from me. If you wanted to be a part of their lives, you lost that chance when _you beat me_, and _abused_ me, and _shouted at them_, and took me to court, and left us with _absolutely nothing_. You lost that right when you signed those papers, giving me _full_ custody. You lost that right when you started screwing around with whichever blonde slut it was who was on your course while I sat at home, pregnant with your baby." With each word I spoke, he flinched and backed up, until he was pressed up against the front door. "So, to be honest, I really don't give a flying fuck what you want Adrian. Because if you dare come after my kids, to ruin their lives the way you ruined mine, I'll wring your skinny neck with my bare hands." My voice was ice cold by the time I finished speaking, and Adrian's face had paled a few shades. "Now get out of my house, and don't even think of coming back."

He nodded frantically, turned, wrenched the door open and froze.

Dimitri was on the other side, his hand raised to knock so that I'd come and let him in. Confusion passed across his face as he took us both in; me, angry and protective, and Adrian, looking like he wanted to wet himself, before understanding and recognition covered his face. His hand, still in a fist from where he'd been about to knock cocked back, and before I could even open my mouth to speak and let him know that Adrian would be leaving, he let his arm snap forward and sock Adrian square in the face, effectively knocking him unconscious immediately.

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><p><strong>Sorry once again for the shortness, for the late update, and for not having the time to reply to reviews. But I hope you liked the chapter anyway. I would appreciate it if I could get 40+ for this chapter like I did for the last one, and I will be replying to both reviews for this chapter and the previous one as soon as I get back from my holiday. See you guys on the 27<strong>**th****, and maybe even tomorrow if I get time and a huge flash of inspiration to get another chapter done before I go! :) xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten.**

**Anonymous replies to chapter 8:**

badbadgurl – hehe I won't go that far, but Adrian will most definitely be getting his comeuppance!

Valdeh – I hope the chapter lived up to your expectations!

ThE JeStEr AnD MaKaPuNo – I can't reply to your reviews because you've disabled the PM system :'( but I'm glad you liked it.

Petal – aha, I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

**Anonymous replies to chapter 9:**

No-NeEd-To-ApOlOgIsE – thank you for the brill review and I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story! However I can't reply to your reviews as well because you've disabled the PM system :'( but I'm glad you liked it.

Briana b – aha lol that is very true! And awww thank you! :')

Disha – aha, my thoughts exactly! :D

Lady Clare Boleyn – thank you for adding this story to ur faves and alerts lists! I'm really glad that you're enjoying it! :) sadly, you've also disabled the PM system on your account, which means I can't reply to your reviews, but I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the story.

**Anonymous vote review replies:** twilightenproud, quaz, anonymous, (), luvlemons and vampiresucks – thank you all for voting and for your suggestions on my poll. I hope you'll like the way it turned out!

**Thank you so much to everyone who voted on my poll, or sent me a PM or anonymous review letting me know their thoughts on what should happen regarding the M scene. The results were: Hot & Heavy – 33 in total. Passionate with the works - 12 in total. And one person requested both. I have used both my original idea and the poll results, so I hope you'll like the way that this chapter, and future ones, turns out. If this one doesn't end the way you'd hoped, keep reading the story because your choice may still come into play. ;)**

**I have to admit that I'm very surprised that no one seemed to pick up on a certain line in chapter eight and go crazy about it. Hmmm, maybe you'll notice it next time… :D**

**Thank you also to everyone who wished me a good holiday. I had an amazing time and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was my first time going to Barbados, and I got to meet a lot of family, some of whom I hadn't ever met before! I would seriously recommend that you all go there at some point in your life – I mean, you know those postcards you see, with the bright blue seas and the golden beaches? That's what it's like. I couldn't believe my eyes. And it's so hot! A definite shock compared to England. Even when it rained it was still hot! And even though I wasn't in America, because it's so close, in the shops I saw so many sweets that I always read about in peoples fanfics. It was nice to finally know what things like 'Goobers' and 'Jolly Rancher's' actually were! :D**

**But that's enough about my holiday. If you guys want to know more then PM me or ask in a review and I'll get back to you. Here's the proper chapter ten, which I hope you'll enjoy very much!**

**One last thing: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the AMAZING reviews that I got for chapter eight and nine! I couldn't believe that I got so many reviews. Thank you so much! I appreciate each and every one of them and absolutely love hearing your thoughts on what happened and what you think will happen. Thank you! Now back to chapter ten :D xx**

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><p><strong>Adrian POV.<strong>

I winced as the steady pounding behind my left temple grew stronger and stronger, prompting my tired mind out of unconsciousness. Several strange, disjointed images flashed across my closed eyelids as I tried to remember what had happened, and where I was.

When that failed, I cracked my eyes open slightly, only to have to immediately slam them shut again, to stop the light from blinding me.

I opened them again, more cautiously this time, and was met with a soft, warm glow. Once my gaze focussed, I saw that the _homely_ glow came from a cheap Ikea lamp situated on a small table by my feet.

_Where the hell was I?_

Silently, I turned my head from side to side. I was in a tiny room, laid out on – a sofa? I frowned as the jumbled pieces clicked into place and the days previous events resurfaced in my memory. I was either in Rose's shitty flat – in her grotty living room – or I was in some cut-rate, hick town hotel. My gaze travelled down over my body, which was covered by a large blue fleece blanket, and to my surprise, my feet had been propped up on the armrest of the chair as my head rested on what felt like a fluffy cushion or pillow. The bitch had gone up in the world it seemed.

A murmur in the corner caught my attention and my head automatically snapped in that direction. What I saw made my blood boil.

Rose, the irritating slut, was stood in front of her latest piece of ass. She had her back to me, which meant I couldn't see her expression, but her posture was relaxed and carefree. _He_ was sat in the chair, his hands resting on her hips as he stared up at her, a happy smile on his face.

The expression on his face made my stomach curl.

It was one of adoration, of love, and she did not deserve it.

No one should look at her like that; and if I had my way, in the future, no one else would.

They hadn't noticed the fact that I'd woken up, and so I took the time to study them.

From the bend of his knees, and what I'd had had the time to notice and remember of his height, he was a good four to five inches taller than me, which meant he was at least a foot taller than Rose was. He was well built, and definitely made of muscle, as my aching face reminded me when I gingerly stretched my cheek.

And though it pained me to say it, he was good looking too. It was a given that he had to have a face to match his physique.

I could see now why Rose was attracted to him. She'd always gone for the 'tall, dark and handsome' stereotype. If I hadn't acted quickly enough in secondary school, Jesse Zeklos would have asked her out first, and things would have ended completely differently.

The 'boyfriend' finished whatever he was saying, and she moved to stand between his legs as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He hadn't seemed pleased when he finished speaking, but whatever she whispered back to him seemed to placate him because he reached up to tenderly tuck some of her hair behind her ear, and I was finally able to see her expression. She was smiling down at him, her face reflecting the same tenderness that his showed, a tenderness that she'd once had around me. She began to bend her face towards his, and he pulled on her arms gently so that she moved forwards even more. I expected Rose to sit on his lap, but instead, she straddled him – furthering the validity of my reasoning that she was an easy slut. Anger flared up in me at how quickly and easily she complied, and how happy they both seemed to be in that position.

He, with his arms wrapped around her waist; and Rose, with hers wrapped around his neck as they both gazed adoringly at each other.

_Yuck_. They could have been on a poster for some crappy, over commercialised Disney film.

The disgust radiating off of me didn't seem to affect them though.

Her head continued to dip, and he tilted his face up so that their lips could meet.

My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and a distant part of me wondered why I was so opposed to them being together, yet I did nothing about it.

Instead, I stayed silent as they continued to kiss in their own happy little bubble, and he began to twine his fingers into the ends of her hair. The kiss deepened and grew more intimate as she leant into him; and as soon as I saw the slightest twitch of their hips I coughed to stop them before they could get too carried away. The last thing I wanted to see was those two in the nude… or groping… or grinding against each other.

They broke apart in a startled manner. Rose's cheeks were flushed and pulled up into a goofy smile as she gazed at the man for a few seconds before trailing her fingers across his cheek and turning to face me. The guy stiffened, and his arms wrapped around her waist once more as she changed position so that she was sat on his lap in a more conventional manner. His face hardened, showing his obvious displeasure at my interruption and I smirked. _Someone hadn't gotten any lately_ – by the looks of things.

"You're awake, finally." Rose's voice broke our silent stare off as both of our eyes flickered to her.

"No shit Sherlock." A real life growl rumbled from the guy's chest at my response, and I glared at him as I swung my legs down and sat up. "No thanks to you. I could have you arrested for assault you know."

He glared back at me. "If you speak to Rose like that again I'll blacken your other eye and give you something to _really_ complain about."

"How's your head?" Rose cute off what I was about to say as she tugged on the guy's arm. "Dimitri, relax. He's not going to try anything – not now at least."

So his name was Dimitri.

I filed that piece of information away for later use.

Reluctantly, he loosened his hold so that she could stand up; and I watched warily as Rose made her way over towards me. All she did was pick up the blanket I'd discarded to the side when I sat up.

_Then_ she spoke. "I meant what I said before. If you even think about doing what you said, I'll make your life a living hell. I don't know how, but I'll do it." Her tone of voice was light and conversational as she folded the blanket into a neat square, but her eyes flashed as she spoke, indicating and emphasizing the meaning and passion behind her words.

"Where are my shoes?" My tone of voice was blasé as I deliberately ignored her words in an attempt to antagonise her. Unfortunately, all she did was point to the door.

"They're in the hallway, next to the front door. You can let yourself out."

Irritation rose up in me, but I swallowed it back down and made my way towards the front door. Once I had my shoes on I didn't expect to hear anything, but as I opened the door, Rose's voice made me hesitate.

"Adrian?"

I half turned and simply stared at her in response.

"Don't come back. I mean it."

I let my eyes wander over her small form. She was meeting my gaze head on, her back straight and her arms crossed over her chest as she watched me leave from the safety of the front room door. Kudos to _Dimitri_ for making her stand up tall and feel confident enough to look me in the eye – but what they didn't know was that it would only make it more satisfying when I broke her all over again. A sly smile wanted to grace my lips but I swallowed it down and tried to make my face appear as contrite as possible.

"Whatever you say." Then the sly smile came out. "Perhaps I'll see you around, on more even ground when your bodyguard isn't there to step in and interrupt." Her gaze turned stony as she watched me open the door once wider and turn back to her. "I'm joking Rose. I'm a changed man. Your word is law." Her face relaxed slightly, but her eyes showed her disbelief.

"I'll believe that when pigs grow wings, chickens eat foxes and hell freezes over."

I smiled as Dimitri moved into the doorway to wrap his arms around Rose once more – marking his territory – before I stepped out and shut the door behind me quietly.

My ploy had worked. She thought that her little act of bravery had frightened me and made me back off. It was a pity that her boyfriend had turned up when I was about to leave and I'd ended up getting punched – but maybe that would work to my advantage. It would make my 'fear' more believable.

They were wary now, but if I left it for a few weeks they'd fall for it. Sure, they were suspicious, but if I kept a 'low' profile, they'd have no choice but to forget and move on with their lives. I'd have plenty of time to study them and build on what I already knew so that I could make an effective, fool proof plan; and then, when they grew cocky and overconfident and least expected it, I would strike.

I winced as my grin grew even larger and pulled at the bruising around my eye, but it wasn't enough to ruin my good mood. I glanced at my watch and grinned some more.

Eleven o'clock.

Camille should still be awake, and even if she wasn't, it was about time I paid her and my children a visit.

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><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

"Happy birthday to you; happy birthday to you; happy birthday dear Dimitri-"

"Dad."

"Daddy."

"-Happy birthday to you!"

The kids practically screamed the last bit and cheered quickly before blowing out Dimitri's candles.

We were all sat around the dining table; Sophia on Dimitri's lap, Tom and Alyssa on either side of him and me opposite. A small cake was placed on one of Dimitri's bone china plates; it was a rainbow marble cake with white royal icing covering every square inch. I'd made it and iced it, and the kids had decorated it with almost every topping known to man – hundreds and thousands, nuts, chocolate sauce, raspberry sauce, silver balls, iced flowers, glacé cherries, vermicelli, chocolate drops, smarties, jelly tots and whatever else their hands had managed to grab a hold of and throw into the shopping trolley.

I smiled with pride and humour down at our _slightly_ overcrowded cake – until Sophia leant forwards and stuck her hand smack dab in the middle of it. Dimitri laughed as she pulled her – now – cake covered hand back and stuck one of her fingers into her mouth.

"Mmmm." She giggled as she licked all of her fingers clean before offering her palm up to Dimitri. "Dad?"

"No thank you, Sophia."

"It's yummy."

He chuckled. "I can tell." Tom and Alyssa had followed Sophia's lead and opted to simply grab handfuls of cake to dump on their plates, rather than to wait for me to cut it up. Icing and crumbs were smeared around their mouths as they grinned at each other and licked at their sticky hands.

"Do you want a slice Roza?"

I laughed as I looked at the crumbling mess that was left over. "If you can find a slice in there for us, then yes, I'll have some." I shook my head in mock sadness. "That was a cake masterpiece and I didn't even get a picture."

He grinned at me across the table. "There's always next year. And your birthday. And the kids birthdays. We have plenty of chances." He stood and placed Sophia into her high chair before somehow managing to find and cut a few slices that still had icing and some toppings on. He placed them onto a plate before cutting off some of the cake to put on the table top of her highchair for her to eat in her own time as I placed the knife in the kitchen, safely out of the kids' way. Then we made our way over to the sofa, leaving what remained of the cake to the mercy of the kids.

The space in front of the settee was littered with scraps of wrapping paper and envelopes from Dimitri's presents that the kids had 'helped' to open. He brought over the large parcel his mother had sent, and opened it to reveal several smaller individually wrapped ones from each member of his family. His colleagues in the languages department had taken him 'out on the town' the weekend before, despite the fact that the majority of them had at least twenty years on him. The kids had saved up their pocket money – something new that Dimitri had introduced - to buy his presents themselves. You could tell that they'd had had mixed motivations when they chose their gifts – Tom had bought Dimitri a book on racing cars and a small Hot Wheels track; Alyssa had bought 'him' a calculator to use during his maths lessons as well as a five pounds gift voucher for WHSmiths; and Sophia had picked out a Winnie the Pooh t-shirt for him to wear when she wore hers. But Dimitri had opened them all happily, each present causing his smile to grow wider than the last.

We gobbled up our cake, laughing as we fed each other before curling up together on the sofa. I'd just gotten into my television watching position when Sophia called from the corner. I groaned and glanced at the clock to see that it was fast approaching eight thirty.

"Bed time." I pushed my body off of the sofa as the complaints started. "I don't want to hear it. Your eyes are drooping and you have school tomorrow so you need to go to bed. You can stay up late tomorrow night because you don't have to get up early on a Saturday."

Neither Tom nor Alyssa could think up a logical response to that, and Sophia simply stretched out her arms towards Dimitri, so I was able to usher them into their bedroom pretty quickly. While Tom and Alyssa took their turns in the shower and brushing their teeth, I checked over their school uniforms and bags; and while I gave Sophia her bath, Dimitri read them a bed time story.

Once they were all tucked in and close to drifting off, we took our turns in the bathroom and then made our way back into the front room. While Dimitri pulled out the bed and sorted the covers I knelt and pulled out the small ring box that I'd kept hidden from _everyone's_ sight for the past few weeks. The kids – though they tried – couldn't keep a secret, and if Dimitri had found it, it would have ruined the surprise.

"Are you ready for your present?"

Dimitri was sat down in the bed, waiting for me to join him.

His face plainly showed his confusion. "I thought I already opened them?"

I nodded. "But not mine."

He opened his arms for me, and I sat down in his lap so he could pull the covers over our legs.

"Happy birthday."

I placed the small box and his birthday card from me into his palm and waited nervously with my head craned back so I could see his expression.

Curiosity was the predominant feature as he weighed up both of his choices, so I took the box and motioned for him to open the card. He read the printed message silently, and then read what I'd written out loud.

_Dear Dimitri,_

_Happy birthday! Congratulations on reaching the ripe old age of thirty five – not long now until you hit the big 4-0. ;) Time to start stocking up on vitamin pills and tweed jackets and using sayings like 'back in the day' and 'when I was your age'. :D_

_But on a more serious note, thank you so much for everything you've done for us. Despite the fact that you've practically moved in, it feels like _you've_ taken _us_ in, and made us your family. You've given the kids the stability and reliability they needed in a father figure, and made them feel like they're your own, for which I can't thank you enough. You deserve all the best in life, and I only hope that someday I'll be able to make it up to you, to pay you back for everything you've done. I wish you every possible happiness because you deserve it. I hope you get some amazing presents, have an excellent birthday and have many more to come that we'll be able to share, just like this one._

_Happy birthday and best wishes,_

_Love, Roza xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

He finished reading softly, and leant down to press his lips to mine. "I hope so too. Thank you for making this day so special and memorable." He took the box out of my hand and opened it neatly before pausing. His face was unreadable as he untied the ribbon that held the lid down securely and met my eyes for a brief second before he lifted the lid to reveal the box's contents.

He froze, and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"What – what's this? Roza?" His voice was a tight whisper and I swallowed heavily before I answered.

"It's a key. To the front door." He didn't relax or say anything and so I hastily tried to explain, as anxiety started to rise in me. "I was wondering if you wanted to move in – officially. I mean, you practically live here anyway, but this way, you wouldn't have to rely on me being home so you can come in. And on the days when you finish early and pick up Tom and Alyssa, I won't have to worry about Alyssa maybe losing the key at scho-" He cut off my longwinded babble with a kiss.

"Yes." He kissed me again; a full of feeling, stomach twisting kiss. "I would love to move in with you." He reached onto the table behind us for his keys, grinning as he slid the shiny silver key onto the chain. "There. It's perfect."

And then he surprised me by flipping the covers off, placing his hands square on my hips, and lifting me so he could turn me around so that I was straddling him.

"Thank you, Roza."

I smiled gently as his deep chocolate brown eyes bored into mine, showing me just how much that present meant to him, and how much he appreciated it.

"I'm very glad that you like it, and you're very welcome." My breath caught as I moved forwards so that I was balanced on his lap more securely. Ever since that night just over a month ago when Adrian had come around unexpectedly, one thought had been plaguing me when I fell asleep. _Was I ready to take the next step with Dimitri?_ Adrian hadn't said anything specific, but his tone of voice, and the look in his eyes told me that he knew a lot more about my life – and my relationship – than I'd thought; and that he'd use any cracks, any leverage he could find in his twisted mission.

I'd realised as I tossed and turned, that I _was_ ready to take that step. Emotionally I was ready, and physically – my body wasn't as perfect as it had been, but the more I thought about it, the more Dimitri's words seeped into my brain. He'd seen me practically naked, and hadn't been repulsed by me. He still wanted me, and cared for me… and Mia seemed to think that he loved me. I loved him, but I was too chicken to tell him, or to at least tell him first. And though he'd proved to me time and again that he was nothing like Adrian, I was still wary, still frightened to give myself over to him completely, to expose myself, body and soul. And that's what I'd be doing if I said I love you first.

But I wanted Dimitri. And physically, I needed him. It had been so long since I'd been touched and kissed and wanted in the same way that I wanted someone else. Physically, I'd been wanting to grab him, rip his clothes off and ride him on the front room carpet for weeks now. But emotionally, I knew that he'd respected my desire to wait until I was ready in every way possible, and so I needed to respect his desire to make it special and memorable.

I was ready, and I wasn't going to make him wait any longer, so long as he still wanted to.

*** * * Start of M scene. * * ***

My fingers trailed through his hair as he tilted my head downwards and kissed me gently. I smiled against his lips as the kiss deepened and grew more passionate before I let my hands slide down the sides of his face, across his chest and fist into the hem of his shirt. My breathing was ragged as Dimitri broke the kiss to nibble on my earlobe before trailing a path of light kisses across my jawline until he was able to suck on my neck lightly.

A moan escaped my throat as I threw my head back to expose my neck to him even more before I moaned and leant into him. "Take your top off." My voice was heady and deep as I tugged impatiently. Dimitri didn't usually wear a top to bed, but tonight he was wearing the t-shirt Sophia had bought for him to please her – which was sweet, but frustrating when all I wanted was for him to be wearing fewer clothes, not more.

His lips left my skin for a second as he helped me to yank the top up and over his head before his lips crushed to mine once more. The heat and passion literally crackled between us as his large, warm hands rested on my knees for a second before sliding up my thighs and across my stomach to rest just below my breasts as he tore his mouth from mine.

"Roza. You- you-" His chest was heaving as he took in large gulps of air. "You don't have to do this." I could see the resolve starting to grow in his eyes, despite the very obvious want that darkened his iris's and turned his gaze hungry.

I leant forwards to nip his earlobe gently before I whispered, "I know."

A groan left his mouth as I kissed my way down his neck. "And you don't have to do it because it's my birthday."

I smiled and lifted my lips to his. "That's not why I'm doing it."

He leant forward to kiss me hard before pulling back. "Then why?"

"Because I'm ready. And you're ready. And I want you _right now_."

I managed to whisper the last part into his ear before he moaned and yanked my face back to his. "You drive me crazy."

"That's what I'm aiming for."

His hands massaged my thighs as they travelled higher and higher and higher, until they were in the same position they were in before. "Are you sure?"

His eyes had calmed slightly as he gazed up at me, his lips reddened and bruised from the intensity of our kisses.

I nodded before leaning down to brush my lips against his. "I'm sure. Make love to me, Dimitri."

He kissed me back, softly and insistently as his hands continued their ascent. A slight gasp left my mouth as he cupped me gently before it turned into a soft moan.

The gentleness that Dimitri carried within his large, powerful body was clear to feel as he held me gently and kissed away the few worries that had started to push their way back into my mind. My mind relaxed as his hands slipped back down my body to grasp the hem of my nightdress and ease it off before taking possession of my body once more.

This, being with Dimitri like this, at this moment in time felt perfect.

I smiled and sighed gently as his hands cupped me once again before his thumbs brushed over my nipples and he pulled back to look at me. "You are amazing."

I smiled and leant forwards, loving the way his hands took charge of my body; doing what I wanted, what I craved most, whilst leaving me hot and wanting more.

My fingers slipped down and across his chest as I traced every line, every curve of his defined muscles with my hands, all the way down to the waist band of his trousers. _Then_ my impatient body made itself known as my desire spiked and my lips crushed themselves against his.

"Now."

Somehow, I ended up on my back with Dimitri hovering over me. His hair had come free at some point and strands of it hung around his face as he leant town to kiss me, our tongues touching and twisting and fighting against each other as our bodies rubbed together frantically.

"Dimitri." My voice was practically begging as my back arched to press us closer together, but failed. His lips disappeared from mine as my knickers were slid down my legs before he joined me back on the bed and my eyes took all of him in.

_Damn_.

My jaw dropped open as I saw _Dimitri_ for the first time, and a blush rose up my cheeks. It wasn't that I'd expected him to be small, but I hadn't expected him to be that big either. I wasn't sure what I'd expected, and I suddenly felt like an inexperienced schoolgirl as I gawked at Dimitri's nakedness.

"Roza." His voice was gentle as he tilted my face up to look at his head – the one above his shoulders. "If you've cha-"

I didn't give him the chance to finish talking.

My hands reached up to hold his face and pull him down to mine so I could answer with a kiss.

A moan echoed through both of our bodies as he moved to lie between my legs once more, this time, without any clothes separating us.

His hand slid down my hip and along my thigh to my knee, before he pulled my leg up to wrap around his waist. We stopped kissing then, his chocolate brown eyes fixed on my hazel ones as he gave me one last chance to give any indication that I felt uneasy, and to stop while he still could.

I smiled back and let my hand stroke softly across his cheek and through his hair before I nodded. "I'm sure."

He smiled at me once, before lifting his body up and off of mine before he pressed his lips to mine once more. My mouth opened immediately to let his tongue touch mine, but this kiss was softer, more meaningful as his body shifted once again and I felt his arousal press against my entrance. _Thank God for the pill_ was the last coherent thought that ran through my mind before Dimitri entered me.

I couldn't help but cry out, and he immediately stopped moving, his eyes flashing with concern as he looked me over frantically.

"Did I hurt you? Roza? Weren't you ready for me? I-"

I placed a finger over his mouth as I used my other hand to grip at his hips and stop him from pulling out of me. "Don't stop. You didn't hurt me. I just, I haven't been with anyone for so long. You feel so good. Just whatever you do, don't stop."

His eyes calmed then, and he rebalanced his weight on his forearms so that he could press his chest against mine as he started to move.

Our eyes locked this time, emotions and thoughts and feelings running between us like a live wire as he entered me fully, only to pull out again and thrust into me once more. My eyes fluttered closed as a moan made its way out of my throat and Dimitri's head rested in the crook of my shoulder, his breathing growing rough and erratic as he continued to thrust into me at a smooth, measured pace.

My breathing picked up as I lifted my other leg to wrap around his waist, anchoring us together as he groaned loudly into my shoulder at the movement and moved his arms so he could clutch at my shoulders.

"Roza. You feel- you feel…" his words trailed off into a string of Russian as he picked up the pace and drove into me harder and faster than before. "Is that okay?" His voice was a pant as he lifted his head to rest his forehead against mine.

In reply, I started to move my hips in time with his, rocking backwards and forwards with him as my fingernails dug into his back.

"Roza!" He all but growled my name as I panted into his neck and tried to keep up with his near frantic pace.

My stomach was twisting and moans kept slipping from my mouth as Dimitri pounded into me and murmured Russian into my ear, drawing me closer to the orgasm that I didn't want to arrive yet. The feel of his muscles rippling under the touch of my fingertips, and the moans that spilled out of his mouth every time I rocked my hips, along with the breath taking way that he _filled_ me completely and moved inside of me only drew me closer to the pleasure that would eventually rip through my body.

"Dimitri." I was close, so close, and by the swell of him in me I knew he was too.

"Just wait. A moment longer. Oh God. _Roza_." My name was a drawn out moan as he buried himself in me again and again.

"Dimitri." My head pressed backwards into the cushions as I bit on my lip to try and stave off my orgasm. "Come with me. Please!"

His lips attached themselves to mine, hungry and desperate. "Okay. Roza, Roza, Roza…"

My body shattered as he whispered my name like a heated prayer, and I was distantly aware of the fact that I was yelling some garbled version of his name as he swelled and exploded inside of me.

My body trembled against his as I tried to rock my hips to help him ride out his orgasm, and he continued to thrust inside of me, gently, in order to help me ride out mine.

Once the aftershocks stopped running through me, I collapsed against the bed, my chest heaving while Dimitri's face rested in the crook of my neck as we both tried to catch our breath back.

*** * * End of M scene * * ***

We both trembled and clutched at each other as we laid in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, before Dimitri kissed my shoulder and up along my neck until he wasn't leaning on me so heavily, and was able to look me in the eyes. I'd tried to pull at his shoulders, to make him lie against me once again, but my whole body seemed to have turned to jelly. "I like you being pressed against me."

He smiled and kissed me softly. "And I like being pressed against you too. But I'm too heavy, and I don't want to hurt you." His lips traced over my face before his hands, followed by his arms, slipped under my back and he rolled slightly so that we were on our sides facing each other, our legs intertwined as we stared into each other's eyes.

"That was… I don't have words to describe it."

He smiled and reached up to brush some hair off of my forehead, and it's then that I noticed the light sheen of sweat that coverd us both.

I smiled back and laid my palm on his cheek gently before scooting closer so that he could wrap his arms around me.

"It was amazing Roza. Just like you."

"Just like you." I echo him. "You are amazing. Thank you. Tonight was beautiful and amazing and the best night of my life."

"It was the best night of mine too." His voice was soft as he leant in and kissed me, a tender, sweet kiss that's filled with everything he can't put into words.

He reached down and pulled the sheet and blankets up to cover our exposed bodies, before pulling me in even closer to his chest.

"Thank _you_ Roza, for entering my life and making me feel alive. For giving me a family and a home. For giving me the best birthday day and night that I've had in years. For being you."

I smiled up at him before pecking his lips and running my fingers through his hair. Words weren't needed between the two of us now, and Dimitri gently ran his fingers from the crown of my head and down along my spine before he reached over, flicked off the lamp and then pulled me even closer, his eyes already drooping closed.

My face rested in the crook of his neck, and I took deep breaths of his strong masculine scent, a scent that was now mixed with my own, before his deep breathing lulled me to sleep with a smile on my lips.

* * *

><p><strong>So Rose finally did it! :D Haha, well I hope you liked that chapter, and that it made up for me being just over my deadline date of the 27<strong>**th****! I'm sorry! But I do hope that you liked the chapter! Thank you once again to everyone who voted on the poll, and constant thanks to all of you who read, alert, favourite and review this story. I really do appreciate it, and I'm so glad that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven.**

**A nice long chapter to make up for the fact that it took me so long to write and post up! There are several different elements to this chapter, so I'd love to hear your feedback on what you thought!**

**Luvlemons – **thank you! :) I'm glad that you liked it, and thank you for reviewing!

**Badbadgurl – **Here it is!

**Peggy – **Adrian is an idiot who needs a big slap basically. And even though there will be plenty of drama, there will be a HEA. :)

**DXR – **Thank you so much! I'm really happy that you're enjoying the storyline and how it's progressing. I'm glad you like how they've become a family, and don't worry; those three magic words will be coming very soon. In fact, if you look back a couple of chapters, it's already been said! :D

**Yanis – **hehe lol, Adrian gives me the same reaction! :D don't worry – he'll be getting his comeuppance at some point. I'm glad you liked it though, and I'm so sorry about removing the chapters to Rose, Craig and The Alchemists on the day that you were going to read it! I've started re-posting them now, so hopefully you'll still want to read it, and you'll enjoy the story xx

**ButtercupluvsJACE – **thank you so much for adding this story and The Disease to your faves list. I'm so pleased that you're enjoying the story, and thank you so much for reviewing! Don't worry, I will be bringing Lissa back, probably in the next few chapters, so I hope you'll enjoy the way the story progresses. Sadly, you've disabled the PM system which means I can't reply back to your reviews! :'(

**A little note for anyone who's confused: The Camille mentioned in the previous chapter by Adrian is the same Camille from the first chapter – the snobby woman Rose served in Tesco's. Hope that clears everything up!**

**Thank you to untamed00notbroken for being my muse and inspiring me to write another APOV. It's not as long as I'd hoped, but I hope you'll still like it.**

**This chapter kinda starts with an M scene but it's written in italics so I won't put a notice. If you're underage or don't want to read the M scene, then just start reading when the italics stop. Xx**

* * *

><p><em>A moan worked its way out of my throat as my fingers clutched at the sheets before digging into the mattress beneath my body.<em>

_I couldn't think, couldn't speak as my body started to tremble and writhe as his speed picked up and he drove into me even faster, his movements becoming smoother as he picked up on my sense of urgency, the closeness of my release._

_A ragged pant left my lips as his large hands travelled up and over my thighs to hold my hips before he gripped them firmly and lifted my back off of the bed slightly so he could see me, all of me, and continue what he was doing, hitting different, deeper spots that only sent more tremors of pleasure running through me as I bit my lip and looked down. All I could see was his dark head between my thighs as he dipped and kissed and sucked repeatedly, his tongue creating a strong, insistent rhythm that my body couldn't help but react to._

_This…_

_My eyes rolled back into my head as his fingers began to slide against my stomach, strong, mesmerising caresses that contrasted and complimented the strokes he was placing on me, _in_ me at the same time. My hips bucked, desperate for it to be over soon, for him to stop teasing me and to simply bring me over the edge, as my back lowered to the bed to support my body and my legs wrapped themselves around his neck._

_He moved his head then, tilting it at a different angle so he could continue to bring my body closer, closer…_

_Another moan left my lips as the swirl in my stomach grew stronger and he echoed the sound, the deep rumble from his chest vibrating through me and into the mattress._

"_Please." Another breathless gasp as his fingers started to work their magic on me too, pushing and stroking and teasing me in all the right places._

"_Roza." He moaned my name and the vibrations shook through my body; stronger and stronger with every verbal caress. "Roza. Roza. Roza…"_

"Roza."

I shot upwards into a sitting position as my shoulders shook this time, instead of my hips.

"Dimitri?" My chest heaved as I drew in ragged breaths of air and wiped a hand across my sweaty forehead. "What? Wh-" I stopped talking as I took in the scene.

Dimitri was leaning towards me, his face wrinkled with concern as his hand rested on my shoulder. That had been what was shaking me, not-

"Oh God." I flopped backwards onto the bed and scrubbed at my eyes.

"Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Yeah. It was just a dream. Go back to sleep." I popped one eye open and stroked his cheek gently. "Sorry for waking you up."

He nodded and flicked the lamp off before pulling me into his arms and rubbing his fingers across the tense muscles of my back. _His fingers stroked against my pulsing-_ I cut that thought off sharply.

"You've been having that 'dream' for the past week now Roza. Every night, you start moaning and murmuring before you wake up at some early hour of the morning panting and sweating like you've just run a marathon. You're not telling me what's really going on. Is it a nightmare? Are you afraid that something's going to happen? I promise you, I won't let _anything_ happen to either you or the kids."

I groaned internally. I felt guilty for not telling Dimitri the truth, but it would be so embarrassing to reveal that the reason I kept waking up – or rather, being woken up by him – was because of my R rated dreams. _Dimitri going down on me. Dimitri taking me from behind. Us going at it in the shower, and then again in the bathtub. Us against the bedroom wall. Us in the kitchen, smearing chocolate sauce and whipped cream over each other's bodies before licking it off. In a forest. At the beach. In the sea. In role play. On the dining table. On one of the school desks. In the caretaker's cupboard…_ The dreams were endless, and so were the possibilities. My body burned again as I remembered what had been happening in this dream.

No way in hell was I telling Dimitri what was running through my mind.

It had only been a week since we'd taken that final step, but since then, it was as if Dimitri had set my body on fire. I was burning up with want and longing and desire constantly - daydreaming about him while I was at work, fantasizing while I cooked the dinner, and counting down the minutes as I put the kids to bed. Then, I'd grab his hand and pull him into the bathroom with me; not giving him the chance to get his bearings before I'd yanked his mouth down to mine and started ripping at his clothes.

We were both naked because of the night's previous activities, and at that moment, his state of undress wasn't helping me to calm down. I could feel _him_ as he curled up next to me, his long, lean body pressed against mine as he tried to soothe me – not realising that what he meant as a relaxing massage was actually turning me on to the point that I couldn't think straight. _How the hell did he have this effect on me?_ Yes, sex was a beautiful thing, so long as it was with the person you loved, when you knew that they were going to love you forever… But with Dimitri, it felt different. More deep, and intense. More… magical. We'd made love and hadn't stopped. Hadn't started having sex, or fucking or fooling around. The intimacy and affection had remained with us, drawing us closer and closer to each other each time we had time that was ours.

I giggled to myself and turned my face into Dimitri's chest. Now I sounded like one of those hopeless romantics, always pining away for a happy ending where everyone was beautiful and happy and never died, or argued, or beat each other, or cried themselves to sleep at night.

I shook my head. I'd known better than to believe that everything would be plain sailing from the moment Dimitri showed up on my doorstep with his toolbox and my sheets from school. Like a knight in shining armour. Except, he was more of a modern day knight - with a cowboy duster, and the ability to turn anything remotely bad into something amazingly good. Now… now I _had_ Dimitri; his strength, his support, and his belief.

But I still wasn't about to fall into that trap.

"Just drop it – please Dimitri." My voice held a plaintive note, and I sighed in relief as he nodded and buried his nose in my hair.

"I'll drop it – for now."

Knowing that's the best I'll get, I smiled and pressed a lingering kiss to his chest before I shut my eyes and hoped that the dreams would stay out of my mind this time.

* * *

><p>"SHUT THE HELL UP!"<p>

Stan was standing at the front of the class, his face bright red as he roared at us in an attempt at getting the class to fall silent.

And he achieved his goal, as everyone stopped talking to stare at him in shock… for a few seconds before they lost interest and started up their own conversations once again.

A vein pulsed in his forehead, and I actually felt sorry for the man.

Even though he isn't the nicest person in the world, he does a pretty good job at teaching us what we need to know so we can pass each module, which contributes towards our overall grades. But it's his attitude that rubs people up the wrong way. He's unnecessarily aggressive, with a mile-wide mean streak, which immediately gets his students backs up.

I giggled and leant into Dimitri's chest, a smile breaking across my face as he kissed the top of my head and wrapped an arm around my waist, to squeeze me gently before straightening himself out. Though some, practically all, of the class now know that we're a couple; neither of us is keen to flout our relationship in front of them. There's no need to.

"Poor Stan," he murmurs sympathetically. "They should really listen to him."

"I said SILENCE!"

I snorted. "Looks like 'poor Stan' has it under control."

The room fell silent once more as Stan stood at the front of the class, breathing heavily, with his hands curled into fists.

"I am _trying_ to teach you what you need to know, so that you can pass your modules, and ultimately, pass this section of the course! But you don't seem to be interested! You are all adults, yet I've seen better behaviour in primary school children, or better yet, toddlers in _nursery_! Why the hell is that? You need to go home, and have a long hard think about what this qualification means to you. And if it really means that little, don't bother coming back. This lesson is over for today, and I will give handouts of what we should have covered to Alberta to give to you on Wednesday. Whether you do the work or not is up to you." And with one last hate-filled glare, he packs up his sheets, logs off of his computer and storms out of the classroom.

There's silence for a minute, as everyone stares after him in shocked amazement. We're still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Stan to come back in to the classroom and start barking at us to do our work.

He doesn't.

Surprisingly, I'm the first to move. It's obvious now, that Stan really did mean what he said, but what's more surprising is the fact that everyone's sat here waiting for him to some back and continue the lesson. What on Earth is the point in irritating the man to that point, expecting him to put up with it, and then, when he's left, waiting for him to come back and teach the lesson that he should have been teaching in the first place?

Dimitri follows my lead, and we walk out of the classroom, hand in hand, as it _finally_ starts to dawn on the others that Stan really isn't coming back. Then we hear the rushed scraping of chairs and the rustling of papers as the rest of the class rush to leave after us, not wanting to waste a minute of the early finish.

"So what do you want to do?"

He looks down at me, an amused smile playing at the corners of his gorgeous lips. "It's a nice night, and we have an hour to spare. Why don't we go for a walk?"

Even though I groan and protest, Dimitri keeps hold of my hand and forces my unwilling feet to keep walking past his car and out of the school gates.

As we round the corner, he lets go of my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulder and draw me close, before his hand slips down to hold my waist. We walk in a companionable silence, each lost in our own thoughts, but happy and comfortable to be in each other's presence.

"Roza..."

"Yep?"

"What do you want to do to celebrate your birthday?"

I ponder that question seriously before I answer. "To be honest, there's nothing that I really want to do." I laughed at his incredulous face. "I know, I know. I'm that boring. It's part and parcel of growing up."

"As you have often told me, being boring is optional, and you are anything but boring. There's nowhere you'd like to go? Nothing you'd like to see?"

I shook my head and smiled lightly. "I already have everything I want." At his sceptical glance I held my hands up defensively. "I mean it! What would be great would be to just spend a quiet day with you and the kids. That's all I want. No drama. No hassle. No rushing around. Just the people I love and care about, sharing the day with me. Along with a tub of Häagen Daz and a few funny, feel good films."

"You don't want anything more..." He groped for the right word. "...special?"

"Spending time with you is special. And spending time with the kids is special too. My happy little family and me."

He pulled me to a stop then, right in the middle of the street, outside the train station. He stared at me incredulously once again, before gazing at the train station intently.

"Let's go on a day trip."

"Right now?"

He laughed then. "No. On your birthday. We'll take the kids and go somewhere that none of us have ever been before."

A grin started to pull at my lips, and he knew that he had me. "Okay."

"But you have to promise me one thing." I started to frown, but he carried on speaking. "It's nothing bad or incriminating, I swear." The frown left my face and he smiled down at me, mischief and sincerity clear to see in his deep brown eyes. "Promise me that for that night at least, you'll let me book a babysitter and whisk you away."

"To do what?"

"It's a secret."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Then I'm not going."

"Yes, you will."

"No, I won't."

"I know you, Roza. You'll go whether I tell you why or not."

I eyeballed him for a good minute. "You had this planned out from the start, didn't you? You knew that I'd agree."

He grinned wryly. "I just wanted to make sure that you hadn't already organised anything."

"Like you wouldn't have known if I did."

"It doesn't hurt to check and make sure."

"Whatever." I took his hand again and we headed back towards the school. "So... where are we going to go?"

"Where do you want to go?"

I thought about it. "I wouldn't mind going to the seaside, but the weather here is too unpredictable."

"We could go anyway. Just because we'd be there, it doesn't necessarily mean that we have to go to the beach."

I wrinkled my nose. "But if we didn't go to the beach, it would feel like a wasted trip."

"Well... where else would you like to go?"

"London? I've been there quite a few times before, but I'd love to go again. Or Nottingham?" We walked the last few minutes in silence. "Why don't we just get up on the day, and decide when we get to the train station? When we get there, the next train that's leaving, we'll buy tickets for and go."

"Deal." He grinned and kissed me before opening the passenger side door for me, like a true gentleman.

Once I was buckled up and Dimitri had started the engine, my mind drifted back to a week before, the memory of our first time together resurfacing in my mind.

*** * * FLASHBACK * * ***

I woke up the next morning, enclosed in Dimitri's arms with my leg still wrapped around his waist.

It continually amazes me, even though it's the morning after and the harshness of reality should have struck, that we fit together so perfectly, and at risk of sounding like a cheesy old movie… like we were made for each other.

Dimitri's usually fierce, protective face is calm and relaxed… softer in the early morning light that's peeking through the gap between the curtains.

Unable to help myself, and unwilling to stop, my hand reaches out on its own accord to tuck away some of the hair that's fallen across his face during the night, before tracing his stoic features. The strong bridge of his nose that lead down to his full lips. His high cheekbones that compliment his strong jaw-

His eyes opened then, revealing his chocolate brown irises and a small, satisfied smile broke across his face as his mind registered what he was seeing and he woke up fully.

"Good morning." His voice was a soft whisper as he leant forward to brush his lips against mine and pull me into his arms even more.

"Good morning." I grinned and kissed his chin. "I don't think it's possible for us to get any closer, do you?"

A little wrinkle of confusion built up on his forehead, and so I let my eyes drift down to where our bodies were still joined, as a clue. A light laugh burst from his chest as understanding covered his face instead, and he leant forwards to rest his forehead against mine.

"It doesn't hurt to try." He kissed my forehead before nuzzling his face into my hair. "I can't get enough of you, Roza. Your smile, your smell, your touch… I can't live without it, and I don't want to try." His hand started to trail up and down my back languidly as he inhaled deeply and turned his face to the side so that he could press his lips to my temple. "I want to wake up like this every day - staring into your beautiful chestnut brown eyes, with you in my arms, safe and sound."

I freed one of my hands, and used it to turn his face back to mine so our eyes could meet. "Then stay. Don't leave. I want to wake up like this too, in your arms, and I want to fall asleep in the same way. And if that's what you want, then for as long as I'm able, that's what I'll give."

He leant forwards once again so that our foreheads could touch as he stared into my eyes. "I want that forever, Roza. I- I-"

"MUMMY!" The shout from the bedroom interrupted whatever he'd been about to say.

Instead, he sighed and pulled back after pressing a lingering kiss to my lips. "I'll start breakfast."

*** * * END FLASHBACK * * ***

I drifted out of my daydream as the song lyrics playing on the car radio actually registered in my mind.

_I ain't afraid to drown, if that means I'm deep up in your ocean, yeah  
>Girl I'll drink you down, sipping on your body all night<br>I just wanna take your legs an' wrap them round-_

That hit a little too close to home, especially after the memory that had haunted me since Dimitri had woken me up this morning.

Dimitri was bobbing his head along to the beat, not paying attention to what was actually being said.

_I'ma kiss you right, yea, yeah  
>I'm gon lick all night, yea, yeah<br>Girl, when I'm inside yea, yeah  
>Yeah girl, you heard what I said-<em>

"Can we change the channel please?"

"Why?" He turned his attention from the road for a second so he could look at me questioningly.

"Are you actually listening to what's being said? Have you heard these lyrics?"

He paused to listen, his head cocked to the side, and a slight blush worked its way up to grace his cheeks as the song continued.

_Anytime you want it  
>I'm ready and willin' gotta give it<br>I start to lick on your body  
>You go to trembling<br>Move around girl, let me get it from the side  
>And can I visit all those spots you like<br>Your neck, your back, your sexy lips  
>booty and thighs<em>

"Oh."

I laughed nervously. "Yeah."

He changed the channel and the soothing notes of one of Alicia Keys' piano intros filled the silence.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

His voice sounded slightly strained, and I couldn't help but giggle.

* * *

><p>"Do you want to have some dessert, Katrina?"<p>

Her bright blue eyes dart nervously over to Dimitri, who's laughing with Sophia as he tries to wipe her messy fingers and clean her face, before she looks at me and nods.

"Yes please."

I smile warmly at her, even though my stomach churns with unease.

She's been like this all night, even when talking with Alyssa. Whenever someone asks her a question, or simply tries to engage her in the conversation or activities, her eyes flit to Dimitri and fill with fear. It's an expression that strikes too close to home, and as the evening wears on, I find myself becoming angrier and angrier at her mother, who's obviously had someone in her life who's threatened her kids at some point. Katrina's fear of Dimitri is plain to see, and so, for the entire night he's kept a polite distance from her, so that she and Alyssa can try to enjoy their sleepover.

"What would you like? We have ice cream, jelly, and cake."

Once again, she steals a worried glance in Dimitri's direction. She waits for a few seconds, gnawing on her thumbnail, but when she sees that he's not going to do anything, her tiny shoulders relax, and she and Alyssa launch into a full-scale debate over which is better to have out of the three.

They finally decide on having 'a little bit' of everything, but once it's served, they stuff themselves until they're full to bursting.

A little while later, groans of satisfaction are emitted from the sofa, where they're both sprawled out watching television. Tom's been suffering from a heavy chest cold, and so has been off school, sleeping most of the past three days away. Sophia seems to have come down with a less serious version, and so she's been bathed and put to bed earlier than normal.

I want to talk to Katrina alone, to confirm my suspicions; and so, once I've convinced them that it's time to go to bed because they have school the next day, Katrina has her shower first, and while Alyssa is in the bathroom I ask Katrina to come into the front room with me. Dimitri's waiting in the kitchen, so that she doesn't feel intimidated any more than she already does with him simply being in the house.

Katrina follows me into the front room, and to help lower the tension and encourage her to relax, I get her to sit on the sofa. _Then_ comes the hard part. I bring over one of the dining table chairs and place it opposite her to sit on myself. Close enough to comfort her if she needs it, but far enough that she doesn't feel as though I'm invading her personal space.

I take one of her small hands in mine, and offer up what I hope is a reassuring smile before I start to talk.

"Katrina, I wanted to talk to you about something, would that be okay?"

She nods, her blue eyes wide and understanding.

"If at _any_ point you don't want to talk about it anymore, then let me know and I'll stop, okay?"

She nods once again, and so I take a deep breath and start.

"Is everything okay... at home?"

She nods her head quickly, but her eyes flicker away from mine and her hands ball into fists.

"Are you sure?"

She nods once again, and I move on in my line of questioning, knowing that she's not going to reveal anything about her home life to me.

"Why are you afraid of Dimitri? Has he done anything to upset you?"

She shakes her head fervently, almost violently, and her eyes meet mine. "No! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to act like that."

"Sorry for what? Act like what?" Her voice is a pitiful wail, and I'm taken aback by the direction that the conversation has taken. "What's wrong honey?"

Her tiny face crumples, but she keeps on going. "Please don't call my mum to come get me tonight. I didn't mean to make you mad. I'll do better, I promise!"

"Katrina, sweetie, you've not done anything wron-" I cut off and reach forwards to pull her into my arms as she continues to wail and tears start to slide down her cheeks. Her tiny frame shakes uncontrollably as I cradle her in my lap and she leans into me and sobs fully. Her hands are fisted into my shirt, clinging to me as she repeats herself, over and over again, promising me that she won't mess up again, so long as I don't call her mum to come get her.

I just nod and hold her in my arms, rubbing her back gently as she cries herself out. All I can do is offer her the reassurance that she's safe, and that I'm not going to send her home tonight, and that nothing's going to happen. Once she stops trembling and her breathing returns to normal, I tilt her face up, press a kiss to her forehead and wipe away her tears.

"Do you want to tell me what's going on at home now?"

She nods, and her lip quivers, but she starts to talk. Her voice is shaky from her tears, and a few more slide down her cheeks, but that doesn't stop her.

"My dad's back."

She rests her head on my shoulder and I stroke her hair soothingly. "And that's a bad thing?"

She nods, and then shakes her head. "I suppose not, but I don't like it when he's here." Her voice is such a quiet whisper; I have to strain my hearing to catch what she's saying.

"Does he- does he hurt you? Or hit you? Do anything that he's not supposed to?"

"No, he doesn't really say anything to me. He spends all of his time with my mum and Daniel. He doesn't like me." Her voice is sad and lonely, filled with the knowledge that it's possible that neither of her parents wants her. "But my mum's more mean when he comes around."

"What does she do?" My voice is equally as soft and quiet. I don't want to cause her anymore upset than she's already been through, but she needs to tell someone.

"She shouts at me. And she always tells me off. Even when I haven't done anything wrong. And I get told off because I haven't done things properly, but I have! She makes me tidy up Daniels stuff and- and-" Her breath hitches as her voice becomes hysterical with her need for me to understand what she's saying.

I nod and kiss her forehead again.

"I know honey. It's not your fault. She shouldn't make you do all of that, or treat you like that." The tension drains out of her body and I hug her closer. "Why is she meaner when your dad's around?"

She shrugs this time before answering. "I don't know. He's not really interested in me, unless he wants to show off to his work friends. Otherwise he just stares at me with a look of disgust, like I'm not good enough. My dad's not very nice. He's mean too. He's always saying mean things with my mum about another lady and how mean he is to her. They laugh about her and it makes me feel bad because they shouldn't say those bad words about other people."

"Does your dad come around often?"

She nods her head and answers with a sleepy mumble. "He comes at random times and stays for a few days before he goes again. He's picking me and Daniel up from school tomorrow, but I don't want him to. I just want him to go away."

"I know, sweetie."

Her head droops as I lift her up and carry her into the bedroom before laying her down at the opposite end of the bed to Alyssa.

"Would you like to stay over more often? I could ask your mum if you could stay over once a week? Or even on a Friday night until the Monday morning?"

She nods sleepily as I brush her fringe out of her face and tuck the covers around her.

"Yes please."

"Okay, sweetie. Try to get some sleep."

She nods once again and burrows under the covers slightly more as I kiss them both on the crown of their heads before checking on Sophia and Tom.

As I slip out of the room I hear one last sleepy murmur.

"I wish you were my mum."

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian POV.<strong>

I smiled and kissed Camille's shoulder as my hand caressed her bare hip.

Daniel was asleep in his room and Katelyn, or whatever her name was, was out somewhere, staying with one of her 'friends'. How on Earth the girl had any friends, I'd never know, but if it meant that she was out of our hair for a night, then that was fine with me.

Camille's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath back.

Her skin and mine was flushed with a thin layer of sweat from the rough, heady rounds of sex we'd just had, but I could see from the hungry look in her eyes that the night was far from over. It was a look that my gaze echoed.

I'd only been able to be with Camille, whenever I wanted, in the past two years. Since my divorce with the slut had been finalised.

Before then, I'd had to sneak out and see her; for fear that Rose would find out and ruin me, financially and otherwise. I needed my money to provide for my family, Camille and my son.

It was a shame that I'd even ended up married to Rose in the first place. If I hadn't been so stupid as to get her knocked up in the first place, I wouldn't have had to bring her with me down here to Leicester. Then, when I met Camille and realised that she was the one for me, I could have had her, and kept Rose just in case things didn't work out. Instead, I'd ended up with three of her brats and a divorce.

Camille mistook my shudder of revulsion for a shiver from the cold, and tugged the covers up until they reached our waists.

I pulled them back down again. "Don't ruin the view."

She laughed and pressed her lips against mine and I melted into the kiss happily.

I'd met Camille on the first day of my course. She was blonde, perky, funny and skinny. The complete opposite to my baggage. Rose said she was 'curvy'. Yeah, curvy was just another word for fat, used by clothing companies to make women buy their shit and feed their bank balances. And with every kid she had, she got curvier and curvier, whereas Camille's body always regained its pre-pregnancy figure. Nice and tight and soft in all the right places.

Camille had caught my eye, and my interest, and kept it. Of course, that might have had something to do with the fact that I couldn't see her very often, and so she seemed more intriguing and mysterious than she really was. But her perky tits and willingness to please, kept me coming back for more. That and she'd given me a son too, an heir, someone who I could teach everything I knew. A boy, who people would see, and automatically recognise as an Ivashkov. I had a boy by Rose too, but he looked like her, they all did. All they had from me was their eyes, and that wasn't enough.

It was tough keeping Camille a secret, but I managed it. What I hadn't realised though, was that Rose had found out about my affair. When she threw that one at the judge during the divorce proceedings, I'd thought I was done for. Luckily for me, she hadn't, and still didn't, know about my kids. My lawyer was the best out there, and within minutes her argument had been cut down and thrown to the dogs.

A smile grew on my face as her broken expression re-emerged in my memory.

"What are you smiling at?"

A bubble of irritation rose up in me but I swallowed it back down and silenced Camille with a kiss. That was the only thing about her that annoyed me, her need to know everything that was going on. However, I didn't say anything. I was feeling frustrated because the memory of that night in Rose's flat kept popping into my mind, and it wouldn't be fair of me to take it out on Camille.

However, I did need to take out my sexual frustration on someone, and she was all too willing. My hands reached out to pull her flush against my body and I smiled against her lips as I felt myself hardening.

"I'm smiling at the thought of you, all naked and ready for me, and how good you feel when I'm inside."

Lust shone in her eyes and her hungry mouth eagerly attacked mine.

In one smooth motion I was where I wanted to be, and though her body tensed slightly from the sudden intrusion, she didn't complain. I knew I wasn't being as gentle as I could be, but she could handle it. Right now, this was how I needed it. She knew how I liked to fuck, and if she had a problem with it, she knew where the door was.

But she didn't complain, instead, she welcomed me into her body. Her freshly manicured nails digging into my back the way I liked it. Hard enough to draw blood, yet not enough that it left the realm of pleasurable pain. Enough to make me forget my worries and thoughts about Rose.

I smiled once again.

That was my Camille. Always ready and willing to please.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

I was stood in the playground, waiting anxiously for Alyssa and Katrina's class to be dismissed so that Katrina could point her dad out to me.

I hadn't planned on confronting him, but after her reaction last night, I'd found myself getting so worked up and angry that I knew I had to do something about it. Her staying over once a week wasn't going to solve the problem, and there was no way I was going to let her live through another minute of that, if I could help it. It was beyond cruel to put a child through that sort of emotional abuse, to make them live with that sort of heartache. And for Katrina to have absolutely no one there, no safe haven where she felt protected and loved… it was indescribable.

I couldn't understand why people had children, just to treat them like lepers.

The sound of laughter and children's chatter filled the air and my head snapped in the direction of the school building. Subconsciously, my eyes had been roaming over the parents stood in the playground, trying to figure out who was Katrina's long absent father.

"Mum!" Alyssa ran up to me, with Katrina in tow.

"Hey girls. Did you have a good day?"

They both nodded and proceeded to tell me every little detail, so that I had the full account.

"It sounds like you had a very busy day indeed." They nodded at me before grinning at each other. "Katrina, where's your father?"

She glanced around, that nervous glint coming back into her eyes before she pointed to a figure standing on the other side of the playground. "He's with Daniel."

"Well let's go over then."

I was trying to sound tougher than I felt, but it must have worked because her little back straightened slightly and she threw her hair back. Then she smiled up and hugged me. "Thank you."

I smiled back and returned the hug. "You're welcome."

Alyssa took one of my hands and Katrina followed suit, taking my other hand as we made our way across the playground.

I saw Katrina's brother Daniel before I saw her father. He was stood with his back to us, talking to one of the teachers, and we waited a polite distance away for their conversation to finish. Alyssa and Katrina had let go of my hands so that they could face each other and talk, and so I used the time I had to study him.

He was tall, but not as tall as Dimitri, with a fairly muscular build. His clothes fitted him well and looked expensive, as did his shoes. He had light, sandy brown hair, that was ruffled, though whether that was from the wind or because it was styled that way, I couldn't tell. In fact, it almost reminded me of the casually messy style that Adrian liked.

Adrian?

A knot of unease formed in my stomach as I looked the guy over once more. It couldn't be possible, could it? It had to be a coincidence, and the two men just seemed very similar from the back.

The conversation finished, and as the teacher walked off, Daniel motioned towards me, to let his dad know that someone was waiting for him.

My stomach dropped as bright emerald green eyes, the same eyes as those of my children, met mine.

"Dad. Alyssa's mum wants to talk to-"

"Dad? What are you doing-"

Both mine and Adrian's eyes flickered to the two girls who were staring at each other in shock before his flickered to mine once again. Shock and unease was clear to see in his. This was obviously one of his dirty little secrets, one that he'd been keen to hide from me.

I guess this was a surprise for all of us.

And suddenly, all of the pieces clicked together as white hot fury flooded my veins. I had to grit my teeth and clench my fists to stop myself from launching my body across the few feet that separated us, and beating the shit out of the pathetic weasel stood before me.

"So Adrian. You didn't tell me that your kids came to this school."

* * *

><p><strong>Dun dun dunnnnnn! :D<strong>

**The lyrics used were from the song Wet The Bed by Chris Brown.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve.**

**Rachael – aha she definitely should! Rose might not do it, but if Dimitri sees him again he definitely will! :D Thank you for reviewing!**

**Yanis – you're very welcome! Hehe, I'm glad you liked it! :) I think you'll enjoy this chapter, and don't worry, Rose will be giving Adrian the shock of his life and make him realise just how much he's missing! **

**() – thank you! Lol, they should do that! And of course Dimitri would win! Thank you for reviewing! xx**

**Huge thanks to Sarah Odair for betaing this chapter. I wrote the majority of this at a stupidly early hour in the morning, so it was probably riddled with mistakes but she edited it all without complain. Thank you! Please check out her stories as a thank you, especially since they're brilliant.**

**I also want to say special thanks to ****untamed00notbroken for helping me out with this chapter. Your messages stopped me from screaming in frustration and throwing my laptop out of the window, especially when my memory stick decided to not allow me to open the version of chapter 12 that had the extra I'd written but hadn't had the chance to save to my computer! **

**And thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed or added this story to their faves/alerts list!**

**I have many more thank you's, but I will say them in the next chapter. **

**In this chapter we see Rose finally lay down the law and fling it in Adrian's face. Woop woop, our girl finally showed him who's boss! :D**

* * *

><p>The fire that burned in my veins gave way to a coil of anger pitted deep in my stomach, which grew until it felt like my very nerve endings were on fire. I shut my eyes and tried to breathe deeply, focussing on inhaling and exhaling slow, deep, even breaths that brought good vibes in and pushed the bad ones out.<p>

Once I'd gained a little of my self control back, I opened my eyes and met Adrian's gaze squarely.

For the first time in all the years that I'd known him, Adrian seemed truly afraid, and a slow predatory smile spread across my lips. The ball was in my court, and he knew it. And he knew I was going to make him suffer for it.

I could almost see the thought that was running through his head. _Shit._

His eyes widened, and he swallowed nervously as his gaze flickered from my pissed off expression to the stunned faces of his daughter_s_ and his son.

Now, everything that Katrina had said yesterday night made sense. The 'lady' Adrian and Camille always badmouthed was me, but Katrina didn't, well... hadn't know that. Adrian and Camille were obviously cautious to not mention any names, and Adrian had been extremely careful to never so much as hint to the fact that the blonde slut he'd cheated on me with during his university course had in fact had children with him.

All of those nights when I'd stayed up late, waiting for him to arrive home; all of those assemblies where I'd had to cheer twice as loud for the kids to make up for the fact that he hadn't been there... and all because he'd been off playing happy families with some other woman.

I guess it really is a small world after all.

I could understand, now that I knew who their father was, why I'd never really liked Daniel, and why he seemed so up himself; but I couldn't understand how Katrina was so sweet and kind, when you took into account who her parents were, and how horribly they treated her.

If I'd known about this back when the court battle was still going on... things would have had a completely different outcome.

But I wasn't here to bitch Adrian out about screwing around behind my back. I'd done that plenty of times in court. And now wasn't the time or place for this big revelation to have occurred.

I was here for Katrina, and my problems could, and would, wait. But it didn't mean that I couldn't have a little fun and find out some information at the same time.

"So, Adrian. When was I going to find out about your other daughter and son?"

No answer.

"I notice they never came up in the divorce case. Your lawyer shut me up pretty quickly when I suggested that _you_ were the one who was unfaithful. What was it he said?.." I pretended to think for a moment and grinned widely when his look turned to one of dread. "Oh, now I remember. He said, and I quote, 'Mr. Adrian Ivashkov, a man of excellent and outstanding moral fibre, would _never_ do anything as horrific as to break his promise of fidelity to his wife. It was _in fact_, said wife, a Mrs. Rosemarie Ivashkov, who broke her vow, the vow she made on her wedding day to forsake all others for Mr. Ivashkov. It is, in fact, debatable as to whether their three children are in fact "theirs"'." I laughed. "And then came the punch line. 'Mother's baby, father's maybe'."

He stayed mute and a smirk twisted my lips. "What, no witty comeback, Ivashkov? There's no pompous, brown-nosed lawyer here to cower behind, so now's your chance to speak up and defend yourself."

He started to open his mouth and I cut him off, already anticipating what he was going to say. "And don't you _dare_ try to deny that they're your children."

He fell silent once again.

Now it was time for me to focus and do what I'd come here for.

"I'm here to talk to you about Katrina. Though... now that I know who her father is, it makes obvious sense as to why she was so upset yesterday. I'm pretty sure you know _why_."

This time my words had the opposite effect. His gaze lifted to meet mine, and an ugly sneer covered his face. "I haven't done anything to the little brat. I've never so much as laid a finger on her. So you can get rid of any notions you might have had about charging to the rescue like superwoman."

"That's exactly my point. Just like with Alyssa, you neglect your daughter and favour your son. I'm glad to see that you at least treat your families equally in that sense. What's disgusting is the fact that you can't even bear to be around her. Like Dimitri said, what type of man are you?" I smirked back. "And for your information, I was here to ask if it would be possible for Katrina to stay over on a Friday night until the following Monday morning. I'd pick her up from school on the Friday, and bring her to school on the Monday, so you wouldn't have to do anything except to make sure that she had enough clothes for the weekend. However, I think it would be more… _prudent_ if I spoke with Camille, since it appears that you're as much of a dead-beat dad with your second family as you were with your first." Anger flashed in his eyes and I knew I'd hit a nerve. Good. "You're nothing but an abusive, neglectful waste of space-"

"No."

"No?"

His jaw clenched and he bit out an answer. "No, the brat cannot go."

"And why not?" I didn't know where my sudden wave of bravery had come from, but I wasn't an idiot. I was going to use it while I could.

"Because I said no."

"Surely, Adrian, since you keep referring to her as a 'brat', you really don't care all that much. And from what I've picked up, you act like she doesn't exist most of the time, so surely it would make things easier for both of you if she really wasn't around. Then you could play happy families to your heart's content with _Camille_ and your beloved son." I couldn't help the bitter tone that leaked into my voice, and Adrian picked up on it.

"Maybe that's exactly why I don't want her leaving."

It took a few seconds for his true meaning to make itself clear.

"You sick son of a bitch!" Then I gasped and covered my mouth, remembering that we were in a schoolyard. My gaze whipped from side to side, and I lowered my hands when I saw that no one had been listening in to our conversation, except the kids. In any other situation, I would have shooed them away, not wanting them to hear the argument that was undoubtedly going to take place; but they were all probably used to it by now. Seeing someone stand up to their father, and for Katrina, seeing someone defend her, would probably do them the world of good. "You want her there so that you can treat her like shit!"

"She's a pain in the ass, but she's my pain in the ass. And I say no, she cannot go to your shitty one bedroom flat to stay there for any amount of time, ever again."

"Fuck. You." I spat the words at him. "Technically speaking, I could fight for partial custody. She's the sister to my children. She needs to spend time with her siblings."

"She has Daniel."

"Who treats her like crap. Adrian, there is no way that I am letting her go back to that existence! She needs to live in a home with a family who loves her. You and your baby-mama treat her like a goddamned slave."

He seemed more bothered by my description of Camille than he was about my accusation.

"Don't talk about Camille like that."

"Like what? All I did was state the facts that I see before me. She's a cheap, easy _slut_."

"Stop it."

"She's a loose whore. She's a home wrecking, relationship breaking, father taking skank. With fake boobs."

He took a threatening step towards me. "Shut it, Rose. I mean it."

I laughed humourlessly. "Or what? You'll beat me in front of all these people? All of these kids?" At the reminder of the parents in the playground he backed up a step and I grinned before stepping towards him, to close down the space between us to make my words more effective. "Newsflash, Adrian. We've been there, and done that. You. Don't. Scare. Me."

His gaze hardened. "That may be the case, Rose. But there are other ways of getting to you."

Anger boiled in my gut once more.

"Try and harm my kids. Just try. I will snap your fucking neck, Ivashkov. And if you don't buck up your ideas and the way you treat Katrina I'll-"

"Shut the fuck up, Rose. Your incessant whinging is giving me a headache."

"Poor baby. You don't like it when you're not beating someone into submission, do you? Tell me, do you beat Camille, or was that something special you saved up for me?"

He sneered. "You deserved every minute of it."

"You keep deluding yourself into believing that. 'Cos I sure as hell don't."

He didn't know how to reply to that.

"And tell me. Is it just your daughters who you treat as though they're inferior and not of equal worth? And some of that spilled over into the way you treated Tom, because unfortunately for him, he was born to the wrong mother?"

His silence confirmed everything else I needed to know.

"Tell Camille that Katrina's staying with me and her other siblings until I feel that she's safe at home. You know where I live, so you can drop her clothes off at any point during the weekend."

"She's not going anywhere other than home with me. You can't take her with you."

"Watch me. If you even consider trying to get her back, just so you can continue to make her live in that environment, I'll report both you and Camille to the police for child neglect and abuse. And this time, I'll make sure the charges stick."

I smiled and turned my back on him. "Girls, are you ready? It's time to go."

Katrina ran over to me from where she and Alyssa had been sat on one of the benches. "Am I really going with you?"

I smiled and nodded at her. "Yes you are. Go and grab your bag so that we can go get in the car."

She nodded and ran back over to Alyssa as I turned to face Adrian. "If Camille has a problem with it, then tell her to ring me or to come around."

By now the two girls had made their way back to where we were standing and had both taken a hold of my hands.

Daniel looked shocked, but then he moved closer to his dad and smiled up at him. "Mum will be glad Katrina's gone. All she does is take up space."

Katrina's face dropped slightly and Adrian's lit up when he saw the effect Daniel's words had had. I couldn't resist one last little dig.

"Come on girls, Dimitri's waiting in the car along with Sophia and Tom. Don't forget, tonight's family film night."

The three of us turned and walked away as one, bright smiles on our faces as Adrian stared after us with a sour look twisting his once handsome features.

* * *

><p>"Sheep! Mummy! Mummy sheep. And baby sheep." Sophia laughed as she stared out at the fields as we sped by on the train. We were an hour into our train journey to London, and were currently passing through the countryside. Her eager little face was squashed against the glass as she pointed at them before craning her head back to look at Dimitri. "But no daddy sheep." Her little face fell.<p>

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he answered. "The daddy sheep are in the next field, keeping watch in case of any danger so that they can protect the mummy sheep and baby sheep.

She nodded and smooshed her face up against the glass window as she resumed staring, this time with her palms up against the window too.

"Cows!"

"Where? I want to see!" Tom scrambled onto my lap and pressed his face against the window. Sophia pointed into the distance, at the fields that we'd passed. They both watched in silence for a few minutes before Tom sighed and climbed back down from my lap into his seat.

We were sat at a table, with Dimitri by the window with Sophia on his lap. I was opposite him, and Tom was in the aisle seat next to me. Alyssa and Katrina were sat behind us, in a two-seater, so that they could have some privacy to talk about 'important stuff', yet be close enough that I could keep an eye on them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay."

It had taken just over a week for Tom to get over his cold enough that he could go back to school. He was better now, but I didn't want to risk him doing too much and falling ill again so soon after his recovery.

"Do you want to have a little sleep? We've got another hour to go before we arrive."

He shrugged before he lifted up the arm rest that served as a barrier between our chairs so that he could rest his head on my lap. I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair as Dimitri rummaged through the overnight bags we'd brought with us and pulled out a small blanket. I felt as Tom relaxed and stretched out relaxed as the blanket shielded his body from the cool air circulating the cabin.

Not even two minutes later, Sophia rested her head against Dimitri's chest and followed suit.

Dimitri chuckled and laid her petite body down on the vacant seat next to him before covering her up with another blanket.

"Are the girls okay?"

I twisted in my seat so I could see through the small gap, to find them both fast asleep. I didn't blame any of the kids for falling asleep. They'd been up and out of the house by seven-thirty so that we could catch the eight o'clock train to London. We wanted to arrive as early as possible so that we could spend the whole day doing what we wanted, rather than travelling. Add that to the fact that they'd stayed up late the night before because it was a Friday, and it was a done deal that they'd drop off at the first chance they got.

A frown pulled at my lips as I gazed at Katrina's sleeping face for a few seconds longer before I turned back to face Dimitri.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." The answer was automatic, and he wasn't fooled. Instead of questioning me, all he did was raise an eyebrow and settle back in his seat, ready to wait for me to spill my thoughts. I sighed at his stubborn patience. "I'm just thinking about the fact that Camille hasn't done so much as to even ring and find out if we had actually taken Katrina home with us. She could have been kidnapped by some crazy person, and have been lying dead at the bottom of a ditch for the past two weeks for all Camille knew! I mean, how can a parent not care about their child's well-being, no matter how much they may dislike them? Even those psychotic parents who do every imaginable atrocity to their kids would still find out what's happened to their child if their child didn't come home. But we've heard nothing. They've not dropped any clothes off for her, any of her belongings… nothing. It's like she never even existed to them." My voice lowered to a whisper in case one of the girls woke up. "Alyssa told me that Daniel doesn't acknowledge Katrina in school anymore. He acts like he has no idea who she is, even when his friends point her out."

Compassion and concern flooded Dimitri's features. "How did she take it?"

"As well as she can do, I suppose. From the looks of things, she's just focusing on her new life and making the best of it. She hasn't said anything, and Alyssa hasn't said anything either, so I don't think his attitude is all that different from the way he used to treat her back when she lived in the same house as him."

"Do you think she's settling in well with Alyssa, Tom and Sophia? I've tried to stay out of her way as much as possible so that she can adjust to living with her brother and sisters and get over her fear in her own time."

I nodded and the frown lifted slightly. "As far as I can tell, she loves living with us. Alyssa said that Katrina said that she wished she'd always lived with us. We've given her what she didn't get in her own home with her own family - love and acceptance. What you said to me on that first night is true."

He grinned, but then his expression sobered up. "How does she feel about the fact that she has brothers and sisters who, up until two weeks ago, she didn't know were her siblings?"

"She's ecstatic. And I think she's happy because Tom and Sophia have welcomed her with open arms too. I don't think Alyssa and Katrina told a lot of people that they're sisters, but the discovery's made their friendship even stronger. And I'm happy for the two of them. They remind me of my friendship with Lissa, and it's good to have someone who you're that close to. Hopefully, it'll last for the rest of their lives."

Dimitri smiled, and I quickly blinked and looked away, staring down at the table as my throat burned with unshed tears at the mention of Lissa's name.

"Do you miss her?" Dimitri's voice was soft and cautious. I nodded and he tilted my face up to meet his. "Why don't you contact her?"

I laughed shakily and breathed out deeply. "I just can't. It's been five years since I spoke to her last – I just cut the communication between us without any explanation. She's probably moved by now, and moved on with her life."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I want to ring her, to talk to her, but I don't know if I can. I didn't act like a best friend should have, especially after everything she did for me. She helped me out so much…"

"If she's your friend, then she'll understand why you did what you did. What's the real reason that you won't contact her?"

Dimitri knew me too well. He could read me like an open book – just like I could with him. I swallowed the lump in my throat and admitted my fear out loud.

"I feel like such a failure, and I don't want her to see me that way. I'd rather that she remembered me, with slightly bitter thoughts, as the optimistic friend who was off on an exciting adventure with her husband, rather than with pity as the abused weak willed woman that Adrian made me."

"You're not weak willed. You're-"

"Trust me, Dimitri. In the years before you knew me, I was. If Adrian snapped his fingers and said jump, all I'd have asked was how high."

"Okay. Maybe you were back then, but you're not anymore. And from what you've told me about Lissa, I think she'll see you as a strong, determined, powerful woman who's made it through some extremely tough times."

"How do you manage to always put such a positive spin on things? It's irritatingly cool, and makes me want to slap and kiss you at the same time."

He chuckled and leaned in. "It's a gift. But if you have to give in to your urges, I'd much prefer the latter."

I pouted and mirrored his actions. "But what if I want to do the former?"

This time his grin was wicked and mischievous. "Then you may do so, as long as you promise to kiss it better afterwards."

* * *

><p>"Mummy, my feet hurt! I'm fed up with walking."<p>

"Tom, Dimitri's carrying you, so how on Earth can _your_ feet be hurting you?"

We were almost finished with our sight-seeing and exploration of London, and were making our way towards a tube station so we could head back to the hotel. Sophia was asleep in her pram, and Alyssa and Katrina were a few people ahead of us, staring out across the Thames River as we walked past the Houses of Parliament. They each had a disposable camera, and were frantically posing and taking pictures of one another either in front of the bridge, with the Houses of Parliament in the background, or with the London Eye in the picture.

"Dimitri's walking. Our feet are connected because we're boys. I can feel his pain."

Tom's tone of voice cracked me up, and I had to stop pushing the pram for a moment to get all of the laughter out of my system. Once I was done, with my stomach aching from the unending giggles, I took charge of the pram handles and resumed walking once again.

Tom frowned before burying his face into Dimitri's neck. His voice was an indistinguishable muffle to me, but Dimitri heard and laughed. "Mummies just don't understand some things."

Tom murmured some more and he laughed again.

"Yes, it probably has something to do with the fact that they're girls and girls have cooties."

"Hey!" I slowed my pace and smacked him in the arm. "You're supposed to stick up for me! Defend my honour!"

"Sorry, Roza." Dimitri mumbled, a sheepish look covering his face, until Tom bopped him on the head.

"Don't apologise. Be a man! Show her who's boss! Go grrrr like a tiger and say, mummy, you have cooties and that's why you don't get it."

Dimitri cast me a sideways glance and moved out of arms reach. "I don't think your mummy would like it if I called her mummy. Or if I said that to her. She might hit me again."

"Then put her on the naughty step as a punishment."

Tom spoke so matter of factly that it caused a smile to pop up on Dimitri's lips as I smothered my giggles.

"I don't think that I'd be able to put her on the naughty step, but I'm sure that I can think of some other ways to punish your mummy. Ways that'll make her moan and beg for me to stop." The last part was clearly directed at me and I felt my jaw drop at what he was insinuating in front of the kids.

He chuckled darkly at my stunned expression and moved ahead quickly, leaving my mind reeling with the possibilities.

* * *

><p>I sighed as I finished folding the pushchair, stored it in the luggage space and made my way down the aisle to where my family were sitting.<p>

I flopped down into the seat next to Dimitri and immediately curled against his side as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder to pull me closer.

My feet were aching from walking all day, but it had been worth it. We'd arrived at St. Pancras station, and caught the tube to our hotel, which was near to Buckingham Palace. It wasn't close enough to be pricey, but it did mean that a few of the places we wanted to go to were within walking distance.

Alyssa, Katrina and Sophia were sharing with me, and Dimitri was sharing a room with Tom. The hotel did have a family room that would have fitted us all, but it was booked, and the other few they'd had available weren't big enough, and I didn't want to force anyone to sleep on a camp bed. So despite my hopes to sleep in Dimitri's arms tonight, I'd have to wait until we got home. The girls were going to make it up to me. We were going to have a bit of a girly night with makeovers and junk food, to celebrate my birthday. And then we were going to prank call the guys.

Once we'd checked in and put our bags down we'd taken a slow, leisurely walk up to The West End. The girls had been amazed to see all of the theatres and architecture, a style that had sadly been lost. Buildings nowadays were so boring – plain grey bricks or plaster board. There was no flair, no grace when you looked upon them. Older buildings were eye catching and detailed with curves and spirals and patterns decorating their faces.

Once we'd covered every square inch, and taken photos of all of the banners, we'd walked through Soho, and then caught a bus back down to Piccadilly Circus.

The rest of the day had been spent exploring that area, or as the girls liked to say, finding all of the spots from the monopoly board. We hadn't quite managed it, but we'd seen enough. We'd picked up a few bargains in Camden Market, and had gone into the Trocadero so that the girls could have a look around. It was the one place I always remembered from my childhood memories. Entering into the building was an unforgettable experience. It was a mish mash of everything you could think of. There was a sweet stall, some small jewellery shops, clothes shops, souvenir shops… And on the higher levels, there was a cinema, a bowling alley and an arcade.

Tom had wanted to go in Madame Tussaud's, but I'd decided against it. It was a bit too pricey, and I wasn't sure how he or Sophia would actually handle being face to face with those wax works. The thought of it creeped me out a little, and I didn't fancy being stuck in a basement with hundreds of the things. Images of them coming to life, going berserk and murdering everyone sprang to my mind whenever I considered it, and even though I knew it was impossible, I still wasn't ready to prove that impossibility.

We'd done a couple of other typical tourist things, and had finished off the day by making our way down to the City of Westminster to go on the London Eye and see the Houses of Parliament.

All in all, it had been a good day. We'd seen a lot, done a lot and eaten a lot. Now I just wanted to arrive back at the hotel so I could shower, have dinner and relax.

* * *

><p>"Alyssa! Katrina! Come on! I know you're tired, but we've not got too far to go now."<p>

Dimitri was carrying Tom once again, but this time because he was asleep. We were all tired and hungry. Sophia was asleep in her pram, and thankfully we were only a few roads away from our hotel.

Dimitri's phone buzzed and he shifted Tom in his arms so he could reach it. I moved to take it from him, so I could hold it to his ear for him, but he moved it out of my grasp, panic briefly settling on his features before his face became unreadable and he answered the phone.

"Hello?"

He was silent for a moment as the person on the other end talked.

"Mmmm, nearly. How far?.. No."

He fell silent once again. I forced my legs to keep moving, to keep pushing me forwards even though I was burning up with curiosity… and anger.

Which was stupid, because I had no right to feel that way. It was none of my business who he spoke to.

However, this was the first time Dimitri had kept something from me, and I didn't know what it was. I wanted to believe the best of him, but his short, non-committal words while I was standing there made me jump to the only possible conclusion.

I chewed my lip for a second before I turned back to look at him. He was back where I'd left him, talking freely to the person on the other end of the phone now that I was out of hearing distance.

The call finished and he looked towards me anxiously, as if to check and see whether I'd overheard his conversation or not. Relief flooded his features when he saw me standing further up the road, but once his eyes met mine, guilt became the prominent emotion.

"Roza! I-"

I turned my back on him and stalked towards the hotel, anger fuelling my renewed speed.

* * *

><p><strong>So I ended this chapter at an earlier point than I wanted to, because I wanted to post this sooner rather than later. Problems with my memory stick and with extended working hours really cut down my writing time, so I apologise for the belated update. I've started the next chapter and have it all planned out, so hopefully it'll be up within a few days.<strong>

**Hehe, let me hear your anger and thoughts on what happened. I'd love to hear your predictions as to what Dimitri's up to. Every reviewer who gets it right will get a sneak peak at the next chapter! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen.**

**I got into Brunel! Yay, I'm off to university in a month! Scary and exciting times ahead. Congratulations and well to anyone else in England who got their AS/A2 results on Thursday, I hope you year 13's all got into your uni's, and good luck to anyone in England who's getting GCSE results this coming Thursday! For those of you who live in a different country, if you have a results day coming up – good luck! If you've just had one, I hope you did well and got the results you needed!**

**Yanis – I'm so glad you liked it and that you found it funny. Adrian's going to be sticking around, but he won't always be causing havoc, thankfully. I hope you enjoy this chapter! And in reply to your who are you, really? Reviews: I'm really glad that you loved the story! And awww, that is such a beautiful name, and that is such an honour! Thank you! I hope both of your babies are born happy and healthy! Hehe, and I'm glad that you liked the songs used, and the end quote! Xx**

**Ellen – you were so close! Why don't you have an account! That way I could have sent you a sneak peak :( but thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter.**

**Jbowencox – awww thank you so much! :') I'm glad you're enjoying this story and hope you like this chapter just as much! **

**() – you got it completely right! Like I said to Ellen, why don't you have an account? nThat way I could have sent you a sneak peak! But I'm glad you liked it anyway, and thank you for reviewing! xx**

**I want to say a huge thank you to rivereq. She's read and reviewed each and every single one of my VA stories and been a huge supporter of mine from when I started writing fanfictions. Thank you so much for all of your help and feedback! She's an amazing writer guys, so pretty please give her work a read and review? **

**Lol, I'm so surprised that only a few people guessed exactly right. Most people had the general idea, and it was agonisingly close, but not quite there. A lot of you thought that Dimitri was organising a secret meeting with Lissa, but I don't want to ruin it for those who didn't guess, so you'll just have to read on!**

* * *

><p>"Are you going to ignore me for the rest of the trip?" Dimitri's voice was sad and resigned as he walked beside me.<p>

Silence.

"Will you let me explain?"

Frosty silence.

"I'm not cheating on you, Roza. I would never do that to you."

I snorted and turned my face away from his direction. It was petty, but I was upset and confused. The hotel was in sight, and I sped up, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed with a tub of ice cream.

He sighed deeply behind me, and the sound tugged at my heart. It made me feel like I was being split into two. I slowed down for a second and turned back to him.

"If you aren't cheating, then who were you talking to?"

He swallowed heavily. "I can't tell you."

"Yes you can. It's easy. All you have to say is, 'Rose, I was talking to…' just finish off the sentence by adding their name onto the end." There was a tinge of desperation to my voice, an edge that made my words sound slightly hysterical.

He didn't speak.

Instead, his eyes bored into mine, begging me to just let things lie. But I couldn't. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I spoke around the lump in my throat.

"Fine. Don't tell me. You can sleep on your own tonight, or go home. I don't care."

"Roza." His voice was strangled, desperate as he stepped towards me.

"No." I held up a hand to ward him off. "Don't. Don't touch me, or do anything that involves me. If you're not sneaking around behind my back, you'll tell me who was on the phone. Or at least what the call was about. I've been in a relationship like that, filled with lies and secrecy, and I'm not doing it again. I _won't_ do it again."

"It's not what you think."

"That's the best you could come up with?" I shook my head. "Don't you respect me at all? Or couldn't you at least pretend to? Everyone uses that line when they want their partner to know it's _exactly_ what they think."

"But it's really not. Look, Roza, just come back with me to the hotel, it'll all make sens-"

"No. I'm not going back there with you. Or anywhere else for that matter."

"Rose!" His voice was a frustrated yell as I turned around and started pushing the pram once again.

Hot tears blurred my vision as I continued walking towards the hotel, and passed right by it. I didn't want to go in there yet, where I'd be trapped. I wanted to walk, to burn off the overwhelming emotions that were threatening to drown me.

"Mum. Where are you going? The hotel's here!"

I slowed, but didn't stop walking at Katrina and Alyssa's shouts.

"Well, Ms. Hathaway. That's a fine way to treat your so-called friend. Just blank me why don't you."

"Mia?" I stopped, blinked the tears away and turned around in shock.

There she was, all five foot two of her, stood in the doorway to the hotel with her hands on her hips.

"The one and only."

"But- but- what are you doing here?"

She didn't answer my question. Instead, her sharp eyes searched my face and then stared at Dimitri accusingly. "What did you do?" Her voice was a screech as she ran down the steps to pull me into her arms.

"She overheard me talking to you on the phone."

"What?" My head shot up so I could meet his gaze directly. "It was _Mia_ who called you? Why didn't you tell me?"

Mia smacked me on the head and made a duh-face. "Because it was supposed to be a surprise. A good one, not one that made you cry because that idiot couldn't cover it up well enough."

"Okay, you both succeeded. I'm surprised. Now answer my question. Why are you here? Not that I'm not pleased to see you."

She grinned brightly at me. "I am here… to babysit!" At my blank face she made a scoffing noise and turned to accuse Dimitri some more.

"You didn't even tell her that?"

He had the decency to look abashed. "It was a part of the surprise. I didn't think that you were going to call me, so I'd thought that things would have turned out differently."

"But _why_ are you here to babysit? We're just having dinner and a quiet night in…"

She shook her head. "Since he didn't tell you, I'll have the honour. Apparently, you promised Dimitri that you'd let him whisk you away blah, blah, blah for your birthday. You and Dimitri are having dinner and doing whatever else he has planned. Not dinner for the whole family, dinner for two. The kids have had you all day, now's your couple time."

I flew out of Mia's hold and threw myself at Dimitri.

"I'm so, so sorry!" I pressed a hard kiss to his lips and pulled back to grovel some more. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you and that I overreacted."

Dimitri didn't say anything as I burbled as many apologies as possible as quickly as possible. Instead, he pulled me in close to his body, bent his head, and kissed me deeply.

"Okay, sorry to break up the make up and make out session that you two have going on, but I think your two eldest are getting a little grossed out."

I pulled back from Dimitri's lips reluctantly, but kept looking up into his eyes as his thumb caressed my cheek.

"How and _when_ did you find the time to organise this?"

Mia answered for him. "He contacted me about a week ago at work and asked if I'd come down and look after the kids. He turned up at work one night and asked for me, good thing I was doing overtime, eh? He's paying for my hotel room, food and petrol, so I thought to myself… why not?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

I laughed and turned in Dimitri's arms to face Mia. "I was talking to Dimitri."

She grinned impishly at me and motioned for the kids to grab my bag. "I know. But it doesn't do any harm for me to take some of the credit. I'm doing you a _big_ favour, you know?"

"Yes, I know."

"I could have stayed at home, tucked up in my bed with a tub of Ben and Jerry's, and watched Mean Girls or something, instead of coming down here to look after your four beautiful children."

At the mention of _four_ children, Katrina's tired little face brightened up and she smiled happily at Alyssa.

"Thank you Mia, for making such a big sacrifice. Thank you for forsaking your Saturday evening so that I could have some time with my wonderful, amazing boyfriend. I am forever in your debt, and will look upon you with reverence and awe from here on."

"That's more like it. Now, let go of the 'wonderful, amazing' boyfriend so I can get you ready. Alyssa and Katrina, grab your mum's bags. Dimitri, you can bring Tom up to the room and then disappear to get yourself sorted."

At the stern tone of Mia's voice, Dimitri nodded obediently and moved to step away from me, but I grabbed onto the front of his shirt and pulled his face down to mine.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To take Tom up to the room and get ready?"

"Without giving me a goodbye kiss?"

He chuckled and leant forwards to press his lips against mine, and I melted into the kiss happily, only to have Mia grab my arm and yank me back sharply.

"No! Absolutely not! I know what you two are like once you get started. Dimitri, stop looking so whipped, move your sexy ass and get inside before Rose jumps you right here in the middle of the street. She'll be ready for you to pick up at eight o'clock sharp."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

"You're amazing, do you know that?" Roza smiled at me as she spoke, and slid her hands across the table top so that they could rest on top of mine lightly.

I turned my palms upwards so I could hold her hands properly, before I lifted them and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "No, you are."

"No. You are." She grinned and her smile made my heart lift.

I hadn't told Roza yet, but I loved her so, so much. She was the wind beneath my wings, the sun in my sky, the cherry on my cake, and so much more. I adored her and our four kids. We weren't married yet, but when we did take that step, I would gladly adopt all four of them and promise to care for them as if they were my own.

"No. _You_, my beautiful, unique, strong, determined Roza, are the one who is amazing."

"You have it all wrong. You, my handsome, sexy, protective, caring boyfriend, are-"

I cut her off with a kiss. It was only meant to be a light peck, but like always, I found myself unwilling to pull away and end it. Her hands pulled themselves free from my grasp so that she could slide them up and along my arms and shoulders so that they could twine into my hair, as my hands moved up to cup her face. As we kissed, my thumbs caressed the smooth skin of her face, and a tiny moan escaped her lips.

I loved the sound of her moans. I loved her laugh. I loved her witty, sarcastic, twisted sense of humour. Just as I loved each and every other aspect of her. Roza wasn't perfect, but then again, nobody was. My mother and grandmother had always said to me that _love_ wasn't about finding the perfect person, but seeing an imperfect person perfectly. Before, I'd always laughed them off; never believing that love - true, honest, heart-pounding love - could exist. Now, I knew better, and I wasn't ashamed to admit it.

I smiled against her lips before pulling back.

Our breathing was ragged as we stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds before pulling back completely. That familiar little frown was between Roza's eyes as she pouted at me.

"Why'd you stop?"

I chuckled and kissed her lips lightly – only a peck this time.

"Because we're in the hotel dining room, and from the looks of things, quite a few people aren't too pleased about it."

She grinned widely this time and reached across the table to curl her fingers into the collar of my shirt before she pulled me towards her once again. "They're just jealous because they're all sitting with their ugly, boring, old husbands. They're eyeing you up and wishing they were in my shoes." She pecked me lightly on the lips. "So screw them and let me enjoy my birthday the way I want to."

A mischievous look entered her beautiful brown eyes, and I couldn't help but lean in closer.

"And how's that?"

Her answer was to press her soft, plump, rosy red lips against mine and then to nibble gently on my lower lip.

A surprised groan left my mouth as all of the blood left my brain and flowed to my groin. This woman… was going to blow my mind one of these days. She made something so simple and innocent turn into a movement that was erotic, alluring and left me wanting more.

The intensity of our kiss picked up, and my breathing grew heavy and erratic once more as she broke it ever so slightly to mumble against my lips.

"You're making it so hard for me to stay in my seat."

"Huh?" My lips attacked hers as my flustered brain tried to figure out the hidden meaning behind her words.

She nibbled on my lips again before she explained herself. "I want to jump across the table and fuck you in your seat, right here, right now. I don't even care that the waiter's throwing pointed looks of disgust in our direction. I just want you."

A rather loud moan escaped my throat and I pulled back in embarrassment. Roza giggled as I flushed and held up the menu to hide my face from the prying eyes of the diners in the restaurant.

"You look cute when you blush, Belikov."

I glared as I waited for my breathing to calm down before I straightened out my shirt.

"Dimitri?" I looked up to find my Roza staring up at me from beneath her lashes, a coy smile on her face. "Don't be mad at me. Please."

I knew exactly what she was doing, but fell for it anyway. My features softened as I placed the menu down on the table and leant across to kiss her softly.

"I'm not mad. I lo-"

"Excuse me, sir, madam. Here are your dishes."

The arrival of the waiter with our food interrupted what I was about to say, and I had to bite back a sigh. _Every_ _single_ _time_ I tried to tell Roza those three little words, to make known the full extent of my feelings, something came up. Or someone interrupted us. Or she didn't hear me because the kids had called her, or the phone had rung, or the doorbell had gone.

It was like fate was against us taking that next big step.

"Damn." Roza muttered under her breath as we moved apart so that the waiter could place our meals down in front of us. "I was hoping to head out."

"Why?"

She winked and grinned at me. "I was hoping to see the sexy body that you have so carefully hidden away from me, without the clothes. On my bed."

The waiter choked, stopped fussing with our table settings and left pretty quickly after that.

A light giggle left Roza's lips and I chuckled. "Poor guy. He probably doesn't get paid enough for this."

She snorted. "Less talking, more eating. The faster we're done, the sooner we get back to the hotel." She tried, and failed, to wiggle her eyebrows and I laughed once again before reaching for the champagne.

"First of all, let me pour you a glass of champagne, so I can toast you. Then we'll eat."

I glanced at my watch. We couldn't arrive back at our room for another hour and a half, or her last surprise would be ruined.

Once the two glasses were filled to the brim with the sparkling golden liquid, I handed one to Roza and held my own aloft.

"To Roza, my beautiful girlfriend. Happy twenty-ninth birthday. Not long til you hit the big three-zero." She laughed at my not so subtle reminder of the note she'd made in my birthday card. "Unless, of course, you're one of those women who seems to always be celebrating her twenty-first birthday. In which case, I'm an extremely lucky man. I hope that you've had a good day today, despite the horrendous amount of walking that took place. I don't quite think my feet will ever recover, but if you enjoyed yourself, it was worth it. Have you had a good birthday so far?"

She smiled and entwined her free hand with mine.

"It's been brilliant, and this is the icing on the cake. Thank y-"

I placed my glass down and motioned for her to stop speaking before I picked it back up, took a deep, steadying breath, and continued.

"I'm so happy that you've had a good day. But more so, I'm so grateful for the fact that we met, and that you gave me that chance to be a part of your life. The kids, a family, a home… it's more than I could have ever dreamed of having. To actually dream of having a future with someone who I care so deeply about, and for it to be a possibility that grows stronger and stronger with every passing day…" My words were starting to come out in a rush as sweat prickled at the back of my neck. I felt like I was in a spotlight with the entire restaurant watching the scene unfold. The smile had dropped from Roza's face, and that only made my nerves tingle even more. She was staring at me, her brown eyes boring into mine as she waited for me to finish my long winded babble. Better late than never. I licked my lips and swallowed before I put my glass down and held onto her hand with both of mine. "What I'm trying to say Roza, what I've been trying to say for the past few months even, is that I l-"

_When the rain is blowing in your face,  
>And the whole world is on your case,<em>

I froze as Roza's phone started to ring, shattering the mood… and my courage.

_I could offer you a warm embrace  
>To make you feel my love.<em>

My shoulders slumped as it continued to ring and I released her hand so I could motion to her clutch. "You should probably get that. It might be important." It was heart-warming to know that she'd changed her ringtone to the song I'd requested on the radio for her, but terrible timing.

…_to dry your tears,  
>I could hold you for a million years<br>To make y-_

She stubbornly shook her head as the music shut off. "If it's important, they'll call back."

We waited for a minute, in case they did, but the phone didn't ring again. I smiled and relaxed slightly as Rose took my hand in hers this time. Her thumb rubbed soothing circles into my skin and the tension drained from my body with her touch.

"Now, what were you going to say before we were so rudely interrupted?"

"I was going to say, Roza, I-"

_When the rain is blowing in your face,  
>And the whole world is on your case,<em>

I sighed heavily and slumped back in my seat as her phone started to ring once more. Roza shot me an apologetic glance as she dipped into her bag to fish out her mobile phone.

When she finally found it and pulled it out, her look changed from one of irritation to one of concern.

"It's Mia, I'm going to take this outside so I can talk properly."

"Do you want me to ask for the bill?"

She shook her head as she pushed her chair back and stood up. "It's probably nothing major. If it is, I'll come back and let you know."

I nodded and she left swiftly, her phone pressed to her ear before she'd even gotten two steps away.

Someone up there _really_ didn't want me to confess my love for the special woman in my life.

I picked at my meal as I waited for Roza to return, and my thoughts drifted to how stunning and beautiful she looked, both now that she was relaxed, and when I'd picked her up.

*** * * FLASHBACK * * ***

Once I'd dropped Tom off in the room that Mia would be looking after the kids in, I'd made my way across the hall to the room that had my bags to get ready. I'd explained to the hotel manager what I was planning in advance, and he'd agreed to let me use the bathroom and facilities, so long as I didn't leave anything in there when I left to take Roza out. That way, they could clean the bathroom and still allow someone else to book the room for the night.

I had my overnight bag sorted, and simply needed Mia to hurry up so that I could put it into the boot of her car. She was going to pack a bag for Roza, and put it in the car while Roza was in the shower, and then 'drive like a crazy woman' over to the hotel Roza and I would be staying in, so that our bags could be checked in before we got there. Well, technically, we couldn't go there until she got back as we were borrowing her car.

I wasn't adverse to walking or taking the bus, but when I'd made the arrangements with Mia, she'd explained to me that 'Rose _was_ going to wear high heels tonight, even if it killed her'. Apparently, Mia was sick of Roza's excuses when it came down to wearing 'sexy shoes' and so she was going to force her to wear a pair.

So she hadn't minded when I'd asked her if she'd drive down to London, rather than take the train, and allow me to use her car. It was small, but it was better than nothing. If I'd said that I wanted to drive my car down, Roza would have been suspicious, and we wouldn't have all fitted anyway. I needed to buy a bigger car, now that we had an extra child, but I wanted Roza to practice driving in a smaller car first. She had a driving license, but hadn't driven since she'd had Alyssa. She wanted to get back into it again, and I'd promised her that once our night school lessons had finished, I'd take her out so she could practice then.

I'd have given her my car, but I didn't earn enough that I could buy a new one outright. I could trade in the one I currently owned, and use that money to put towards a newer, larger car. A smile graced my lips with the thought of our little family growing even larger with a couple of gorgeous little babies.

But first things first. I hadn't even told Roza I loved her, or broached the subject of marriage, so to be thinking about having even more children was taking things a bit too far.

I'd showered and shaved before putting on some of the aftershave that I'd noticed Roza seemed to like the most.

Then I'd put on my outfit for tonight - black dress trousers and shoes, with a deep purple silk shirt. I didn't usually wear anything this extravagant, but Mia had given me strict instructions on what to wear and what not to wear. My duster had been banned, which had made me scowl.

I'd wanted to know what Roza was going to be wearing, but Mia had refused to tell me. All she'd revealed was that my Roza would look stunningly beautiful, and that I'd have to beat the other guys off with a stick.

And she'd been right.

Roza had looked stunningly exquisite.

Once Mia had dropped our bags off and returned to the original hotel to 'apply the finishing touches', I'd done all of my last minute checks. I had money, a phone and my emergency credit card. The windows were locked, the room was empty and I was ready to go.

I'd knocked on the door to Roza's room, and a few minutes later, Mia opened the door. She'd smiled brightly at me before motioning for me to stay where I was. She shut the door again, and then a few seconds later, it swung open to reveal _the_ most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

My Roza was dressed in a white strapless dress, which hugged her in all of the right places. It seemed to just flow over her curves like a waterfall, skimming the surface and showing off her beautiful figure in a way that was completely innocent, yet would give old men heart attacks.

I wasn't brilliant with descriptions, but small snippets from my mother trying to teach me how to mend and recognise different fabrics flowed through my mind. The top was ruffled just above the bust, preventing it from revealing anything as it was strapless. There were ruffle tiers, I think, on the bodice and mid-thigh length skirt; and a lace covering on the bodice that gave the dress a sexy, yet sophisticated edge, instead of being dowdy because of the ruffles. The material seemed to be silk organza, and on Roza, it was striking and effective.

Her long, dark hair had been curled and pinned to the left side of her head, with ringlets trailing down and over her left shoulder. A purple pansy was somehow pinned in there too, adding a touch of elegance along with small purple studs in her ears.

She held a small lilac coloured clutch in her hand and a pair of pointy purple high heels adorned her feet.

Roza's eyes were indescribable when I met her gaze. The beautiful deep hazel colour sparkled as her eyes met mine, and the swirl of blues and purples on her eyelids only added to the effect. Her eyelashes seemed even thicker and darker than usual, and her eyes were outlined in black, which made them stand out and catch my attention. Her gaze was hypnotic and sensual when she looked at me like that, yet the happiness radiating off of her helped me to keep a level head.

Her skin glowed as she smiled at me, and a slick of cherry red lipstick coated her lips.

"Where are you taking me tonight, sir?"

Her smile only grew when I offered my arm towards her, as I played up to my role.

"Tonight, my lady, we are going to dine at The Ritz Hotel."

Her jaw dropped as she stared at me for a second before she squealed excitedly and leant up to press a kiss to my cheek and then my mouth. Once she pulled back, a wry smile pulled at her lips as she gently wiped my cheek with her fingertips. "I forgot about the lipstick. You might want to wipe your mouth while I quickly get another coat of it on, so all of Mia's hard work doesn't go to waste."

"Here, keep it." Mia had been standing in the doorway, seeing us off, and she tossed a small tube of something – lipstick, presumably – in Roza's direction. "Enjoy yourselves and the time you have together."

I nodded gratefully in her direction as Rose smeared some onto her lips, and once she'd hugged Mia goodbye, we left.

*** * * END FLASHBACK * * ***

Roza sat back down in her seat, just after the waiter had come over to see if there was anything wrong with the meal.

"Is everything okay with the kids?"

Roza nodded and scrubbed at her face with her hand before she sighed tiredly. "Yeah, they just started playing up because they're in a new place and I'm not there, so they think they can get away with murder. I told them off and they should all be getting ready for bed now."

I nodded and motioned towards our plates. "Most of it's cold now. Did you want to order another meal, or just get dessert?"

"Dessert. I'm craving chocolate right now." She grinned brightly at me. "I've switched my phone off, so we won't be interrupted again. What was it you were going to say?"

I chuckled and shook my head. "I just hope that you're having a brilliant time, Roza, and wish you all the best."

We clinked our glasses together and drank the champagne, just as the waiter came over with the dessert menu.

* * *

><p><strong>The pictures of Rose's dress, hair and make-up and shoes as well as Dimitri's shirt are on my profile, so please have a little look.<strong>

**Has there been something wrong with the past couple of chapters, or are people just not enjoying the direction that the story has taken? The number of reviews has dropped rapidly which is slightly worrying. If you're enjoying the story and leaving me feedback, thank you so much! But if not, please do leave me some feedback so that I know what to improve/adjust.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen.**

**Huge thanks to my fabulous beta Sarah Odair! I forgot to say thank you in the last chapter :( but she did a brilliant job on both that one and this one. If you're looking for a good story I highly recommend her three-shot, 'Harder than you know'. It's a post- LS AdrianxRose fic where they sort their trouble and resolve their differences. **

**Also, please check out the story 'Who Would Have Thought' by x-Kryst-x. It's a relatively new VA fic that looks to have a promising storyline with a good dose of drama and a bit of angst thrown into the mix. But sadly she doesn't have many reviewers :'( **

**If you're looking for the perfect blend of humour and romance, any of the fanfictions by Ms. Sweden are the perfect choice. **_**Every**_** chapter makes me laugh out loud and leaves a smile on my face after I've finished reading. So put them at the top of your to-read list!**

**My last recommendation for today is any of the three stories by Promise Me You'll Love Me. I love her story 'Who said a lot couldn't happen?' It's a Dimitri left story – but he didn't leave Rose for Tasha. With a brilliant twist and lots of suspense and secrets coming out into the open, it's one of my fave fics to read. **

**Briana ba – I'm glad you liked it! Lol, you'll love the last surprise. When I was writing it I wanted a Dimitri of my own so he could do it for me! :D**

**Yanis – thank you! And oops, my bad! And thank you so much for reviewing The Disease :) Unfortunately, I doubt I'll be writing a sequel to True Love Never Runs Smooth, but here's the update you wanted!**

**() – sadly he didn't, but he will do soon!**

**Sazzybear96 – I couldn't reply to your review because you've disabled the PM system, but I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter, and I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much, if not more!**

**DXR – Thank you! :) Lol, he'll get to say it **_**very**_** soon. I'm glad you like how their family's growing and fitting together too. And thank you! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

**Anon – Thank you! And I'm sorry I kept you up so late! :D**

**Beauty'sInTheEye – I couldn't' reply to your review either, because you've also disabled the PM system :( but thank you very much for adding my story and me to your faves list! And I'm glad that you liked the Bible reference. I'm a Catholic, so it does end up in my stories sometimes, especially if there's a wedding or something. I have to have the ceremony in church! That reference and 1 Corinthians 14 are my two favourite passages. I could read them all day! :D**

**BrownEyedDazzler, bribumblebee and Do'B – thank you so much for all of your support, feedback and happy messages! I got a lot more sleep this time, so thank you for the good advice!**

**I was looking at the rooms in the Ritz online, and they are just amazing. They literally took my breath away! I'd say for you guys to have a look too, because I seriously feel that I don't do them justice with my descriptions.**

**Another loving, fluff filled chapter that I hope you'll enjoy reading just as much as I enjoyed writing it! :') A little warning, there's a massive M scene in this. It's marked, but probably takes up 50+% of the chapter. So if you're not into M rated stuff or are underage, you'll probably want to skip most of the middle bit. But do keep an eye out for the marker stating the end of the M scene, because something pretty big happens, and I doubt you'd want to miss it! xx**

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

"How are your feet?"

We'd finished dinner and were currently walking down the plush carpeted corridor towards the lifts. Well, Roza thought we were going out to the car, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. The final part of her birthday surprise should have been set up by now, and I couldn't wait to see her face. The waiter had slipped me the room key as I'd paid for the meal, so she'd never even suspected that anything else was going on.

"They're good. A bit achy, but I'll live."

"Why don't you take them off?"

She gave me a sideways look and smirked. "And walk barefooted in the car park? No thanks. I'd rather have achy feet than cut ones."

I smiled down at her, before I bent and swept her up into my arms, catching her off guard. She squealed as I lifted her up into the air before cradling her soft body against my chest as I laughed. "How about neither?"

"What do you mean?" She laughed as her arms wrapped around my neck automatically and I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Yum." I pulled back to look at her questioningly, and Roza licked her lips suggestively. "You taste like the chocolate we had for dessert. I'm wondering if you'll do the same things to my body that the chocolate di-"

She cut off with a flush, as an elderly couple walked past us with disgusted looks on their faces. Well, the old lady looked disapprovingly at us, whilst the old man threw a wink and a nod in my direction before he hurried after her.

I laughed and continued walking after them, towards the lifts.

Rose didn't say anything, until we passed the doors in the lobby which lead out of the hotel.

"Earth to Dimitri, come in Dimitri. The doors are that way." She jerked a thumb behind us.

"I know, but our room is this way."

It took until I reached the lift doors and pressed the button before the words finally made sense.

"You booked us a room?"

I nodded as the lift doors opened.

"In _The_ Ritz Hotel?"

I nodded once again and stepped into the lift.

"Are you crazy?"

I jumped at her sudden outburst. "No. Why?"

"How much did you spend? Are you absolutely mad?"

"No, I just wanted you to have the best birthday possible. You deserve it."

Roza's lips were crushed against mine before I even finished speaking, hungry and insistent, as she twined her fingers into my hair to draw me even closer. A slight moan left her lips as she _somehow_ managed to twist so that she was no longer held in my arms, but had her legs wrapped around my waist instead.

"Which room are we staying in?"

"Room twenty nine. One of the junior suites."

An excited grin touched her lips. "Have you been in it already?"

"No, but I know someone who's stayed in one before."

Her voice was a sultry murmur. "What does it have that we might find useful?"

I placed my lips to the shell of her ear to whisper softly. "Complimentary luggage packing and unpacking. Bathrobes, slippers and a magnifying mirror in the bathroom." Her breath caught, and I smiled before continuing. "Evening turndown." Her brow wrinkled in confusion and so I explained. "While we eat the maid or maids come and turn down the top cover on the bed, and sometimes they leave a little chocolate or mint on the pillow for you to enjoy when you get back to your room after dinner."

Another beautiful smile graced her soft lips. "Anything else?"

"Movies 'on demand', as well as 24 hour room service. A mini bar, a hair dryer, in room temperature control, tr-"

"You had me at the mention of 'our room'."

I managed a short laugh before her lips attacked mine once again, and the lift doors opened onto our floor. I stumbled out and headed down the corridor, with Mia's vague description of where our room was supposed to be running through my head.

"Dimitri?"

"Yeah?"

Both of our voices were breathy and excited as we tried to talk and kiss at the same time.

"I think our room's in the opposite direction."

"Huh?"

She giggled. "You're going the wrong way."

"Oh."

I stopped, turned, returned my lips to Roza's and resumed walking, this time in the right direction.

* * *

><p>"Close your eyes."<p>

I gently set Roza down on her feet outside our door, as I pulled the room key from my pocket.

Surprisingly, she did as asked without any complaint, instead, only a small smile gracing her lips as she waited patiently for me to open the door.

"Were those rose petals on the corridor floor?"

I placed my hands over her eyes to make sure she didn't peek, and nodded, before I realized that she couldn't see. "Yes."

"Did you ask for them, or is there some other lucky woman with a kind, considerate, amazing boyfriend on this floor too?"

I chuckled and nudged her over the threshold. "They were for you, my beautiful Roza." I kissed her cheek softly before I removed my hands and lead her into the middle of the room. "Now, you can look."

A light gasp left her lips as she took in the sight before her.

In the day time, she would have seen the forty six square metres of floor space that was our large, spacious room, with light peach coloured walls and antique wall lights. If the thick, heavy curtains hadn't been drawn by the maids, she would have seen the large bay windows that opened out to give a beautiful view of the surrounding parks and city line, along with the plush, cream coloured carpet, and the round table that held a bone china tea set. Opposite the windows, she would have seen the designated seating area, with a mahogany sofa table and two opulent, padded armchairs. On the wall in between the two, she would have seen the highly ornate mantelpiece, and antique paintings that adorned the walls.

Instead of being illuminated by the bright overhead chandelier, only the two bedside lamps had been turned on in the bedroom, casting a soft, elegant glow over the room's features.

The fireplace opposite the bed had been lit and stoked, causing a soft crackling to punctuate the near silence that had enveloped and enfolded us as Roza took in the sight before us.

A huge, king sized bed was placed against the middle of the far wall, its top cover folded down invitingly, with the glow cast by the lamps on each bedside table centring it as the focal point of Roza's attention, as did the path of flower petals that had lead all the way up to our room. Red rose petals for passionate love, and then a mix of red and white for unity from the lift doors to the doors of our room. From the door of our room to the bed I'd asked for red chrysanthemum petals which symbolised sharing, Apple Blossom for promise, and Passion flower for passion. On the bed itself, there were tulip petals. Red, for a declaration of love. Violet, for faithfulness. And yellow, because I was hopelessly in love.

In the middle of the tea table was a large, stained glass vase that held a bouquet of roses in every colour imaginable. I'd ordered the bouquet, picked out the colours especially, and paid to have it delivered to the hotel. The manager had agreed to have the maids place them in our room.

Roza's eyes had finally shifted from the bed, and were now focused on the vase. "I've never seen a bouquet that big. Or that many roses all at once, for that matter."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her slender waist. "A mixed-colour bouquet carries all of the meanings of each individual rose. Do you want to know what they mean?"

"Yes please."

"I've memorised this, so no complaining if it takes too long." I warned her lightly.

"I promise. It's beautiful. There's no way I'd complain."

"Black roses are the colour of death. Death of certain 'set' ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. It signifies a major change in the future. I chose them because I think that in our relationship, they symbolise the end of what Adrian has done. They show that our relationship is a new, fresh start for all of us. You, me, Katrina, Alyssa, Tom and Sophia. This is our clean slate. Purple roses stand for certain things, but the one I'm focusing on is that they mean I will always love you. Lavender roses are becoming widely accepted as representing love at first sight and enhancement, but they also have some negative connotations so I've only put in a few. Burgundy roses mean unconscious beauty. Lilac represents the first emotions of love. Blue roses symbolise fantasies, hoping for miracles, new opportunities and possibilities. Every day with you offers up even more opportunities than the one before."

"That's very true. You've opened my eyes and given me a new lease on life." Roza interlaced her fingers with mine as I continued.

"Orange roses indicate enthusiasm, desire and fascination. The orange rose says, 'I am proud of you!' And I am proud of you, Roza. You've come so far, and done so much, without the support or help you should have had, and you never once let it break you or make you give up. You're my inspiration." I whispered the last sentence into her ear before I straightened up again. "Coral roses signify desire as do peach roses, but peach ones also indicate anticipation, sincere appreciation and optimism for the future. Pink roses stand for things such as elegance and gracefulness, but are combined with fun and light-heartedness. It is the rose of sweet thoughts and thank you's. Thank _you _for letting me into your life. Dark pink stands for thank you, appreciation and gratitude. Light pink roses convey a lot of things, but what I wanted to show was my admiration and joy, as well as your sympathy, gentleness, grace, gladness and sweetness. The combination of red roses and pink roses connotes strong romance and passion. Dark pink roses are symbolic of thankfulness, while pale pink roses are a symbol of joy and grace." I kissed the top of her head and inhaled deeply, to catch the beautiful fruity scent that seemed to emanate from my Roza, no matter the time or place. "Do you want me to stop?"

She shook her head and I smiled. "Red roses represent romance, beauty, respect, courage, passionate love and unity. Red roses also stand for the creative spirit of love, the true love that's stronger than thorns. True red is the Lover's rose. Amaranth red means long-standing desire, Cardinal red means sublime desire. Fiery red highlights our flames of passion. Red roses in full bloom say, 'I love you still.' The red and white roses like the ones in the corridor imply unity or togetherness, and are given when facing a challenging life event or to celebrate a strengthening relationship. Red and yellow blended mean gaiety and loyalty. White roses represent so many different things, such as unity, loyalty, and love stronger than death as well as sincerity. They're sometimes called the 'flower of light', because the white rose also means spiritual love and anticipation of happiness. White roses can also be used to highlight the message of the other rose colours."

Roza turned in my arms and cupped my face with her hands as she watched me speak. Her deep hazel eyes stared into mine intently, and I smiled this time, hoping she'd understand the message that I'd hoped to carry through with the flowers.

"Friendship is the main connotation of the yellow rose but yellow roses are also appropriate for marking the beginning of a new life together or for starting all over again. A yellow rose with red tips indicates friendship falling in love, which is what happened to us."

"And I'm so glad it did."

"Me too." We smiled softly at each other. "Fifty roses mean unconditional love, which is why there were fifty used in this room and the corridor."

"Really?" Roza turned in my arms to look at the vase again, and her breath caught in her throat as I continued.

"A dozen roses mean 'I love you' and indicates gratitude for your presence, which is why there are three sets of twelve tied together in that bouquet. Seven roses signify infatuation, which is why there is one set of seven tied together. The petals of four roses were used in the corridor, the room and the bed. Two roses taped or wired together to form a single stem represent a commitment, an engagement or a coming marriage." I pointed at the two red roses that had been placed onto Roza's pillow, their stems intertwined, and smiled as Roza gasped. "They represent the mutual feeling that the bond between the two of you is inseparable and nothing can come between you. I hope that's true for us." I then reached into my inner jacket pocket and pressed the fiftieth rose into my Roza's hands. "A single rose stands for simplicity, and means _you_ are the only one. In full bloom it means 'I love you' or 'I love you still'. It can also symbolise love at first sight."

"Fifty roses, all with their own special meaning." Roza's voice was faint and gentle as she leaned her head back against my chest so she could stare up into my eyes.

I nodded. "And the meaning of mixed roses… you're everything to me."

Roza's eyes filled with tears, and I hurriedly turned her in my arms so I could hold her face soothingly. "Don't cry! I didn't mean to make you upset!"

A half sob escaped her mouth as she shook her head. "You didn't upset me, you just… you put so much thought and care into tonight. No one's ever done anything like this before. No one's ever thought so highly of me, or treated me this well." Her lip quivered and a tear made its way down her cheek.

I brushed it away gently and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You deserve it, Roza. I'd give you the world if I could."

She shook her head and laughed as her arms wrapped themselves around my neck. "You spoil me too much."

"You deserve it. You're amazi-"

Her soft lips on mine stopped my words in their tracks, and I kissed her back tenderly. She pulled back to stare into my eyes, and brushed some of my hair out of my face.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." I released her from my arms and knelt down. "Lift your foot." She looked confused, but did as I said, a small sigh of pleasure slipping from between her feet as I eased off the ridiculously high heeled death trap Mia had forced her to wear. Once they were both off I quickly tugged my own shoes and socks off and stood again, this time taking her hand in mine and leading her towards the bathroom.

"What are you doing now?" Roza's voice held an amused lilt as I pulled her forwards.

"Close your eyes." She giggled, but did as I asked.

"We're playing this game again, are we?"

I chuckled and opened the bathroom door to poke my head in the and check everything was set out. "Yep." I lead her inside, and shut the door gently. "Now, you can open them."

"Oh. My. Gosh." Roza stared open mouthed around the large marble-walled room. No lights were on, instead small, lavender scented tea lights surrounded the edges of the bath tub, sink counter and toilet, casting a soft, intimate glow over the entire room.

A claw foot bath tub, big enough to fit two people was situated in the corner of the room, scented steam emanating from the hot, bubble filled water it contained. A few more red rose petals trailed towards the tub invitingly, and Rose tugged _me_ forwards this time.

"How the hell did you manage all this?" I didn't think that Roza meant to say it out loud, but I answered her anyway.

"With a lot of planning and help from Mia."

"Really?" Roza sounded shocked.

I nodded and chuckled at her stunned expression. "I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to make it all fit together. Without her input and arranging, _we_ would have been coming down to London next weekend, and then it wouldn't have been a surprise."

Roza took my face in her hands once again, and kissed me sweetly. "Well, I'll make sure to thank Mia when I see her tomorrow." Then a naughty smile covered her face. "But I think that the most important thing is that I thank you. Right now."

"That sounds like a plan."

She smiled and slid her hands up to the neckline of my shirt and slowly began to undo the buttons. "You think so?"

I grinned and pulled her close enough that I could kiss a path all the way from her collarbone to her ear. "I know so."

Roza's gaze grew hungrier with each button that she undid, until my shirt hung open. Her hand traced the planes of my chest, drawing a deep moan from my throat as her breath caught. "You're too good to be true." She slid the shirt over my shoulders and down my arms, until it dropped off, and then her hands slid down to the waistband of my trousers to undo the top button there. "I feel like I'm in a dream. One that's lasted the past year, and any minute, I'm going to wake up and find that it's the first day of class all over again, except this time you won't be there because you're just a figment of my imagination."

"I'm real, Roza. This is really happening."

"I know." Her slender fingers undid the last button and grasped the waistband of my trousers firmly before she bent and pulled them down to the floor. As she stood I stepped out of them, and a satisfied smirk lit her face up. "Much better."

My gaze raked over her lithe body, from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes and I smiled. "Your turn."

She grinned mischievously, and lifted her arms above her head. "The zipper's at the side."

I stepped forwards once again, leaving my clothes behind me as I reached for her. My hands trembled slightly as I unzipped Roza's dress and watched the material slip down her beautiful body and pool at her feet. Then, I really _saw_ her body, and felt like all of the air had been sucked out of my chest.

My Roza was breath taking. Stunning. _Mine_. A hungry smile touched my lips as I took in every curve, every inch of her voluptuous frame.

*** * * Start of M scene. * * ***

"See something you like?" The memory of our first date passed through my mind with those words. I hadn't been able to speak back then either.

My gaze flicked up to Roza's face and I smiled, before my sight returned back to her body. It was crass and rude, but I couldn't help myself. Roza was wearing _the sexiest_ lingerie I'd ever seen in my entire life. I'd had a couple of girlfriends before who'd liked to wear that sort of thing on a daily basis, but the sight of those garments had always made me cringe and want to flick the lights off.

On Roza it was something else entirely.

"What's that?"

A provocative smile hit Roza's lips as I spoke and tore my gaze away from her body to meet her eyes once more.

"So now it's my turn to do the teaching?" I nodded eagerly and she laughed. "Mia told me that this…" She gestured to the scrap of lace covering her chest. "Is a 'pretty, strapless balconette bra with delicate French floral corded embroidery in signature black and pink tones. Its soft pink satin elastic and embroidered spot overlay with the black and baby pink cotton bows make this an alluring look'." Roza met my gaze directly, and this time, _my_ breath caught. "Do you think it's succeeded?" I managed to squeak out an answer and she continued, gesturing to her underwear as she did so. "This, is a 'low slung hipster brief in delicate black open net and baby pink floral embroidery, with soft pink satin elastic with an embroidered spot overlay that 'tantalizingly straps over the derrière' whilst black cotton bows with a baby pink edge complete the look'." At my gobsmacked expression she smirked. "You're not the only one who memorised important things for tonight."

"I can tell." My gaze dragged over her once again, and my hands gently grasped her hips to pull her closer. "You look beautiful, and sexy, and-"

Mid speech, Roza turned and ground her ass against my crotch. "You're turning me on with every word you speak, Dimitri, so unless you're planning on doing something about it _soon_, I suggest you stop."

"ебать меня." Roza's hips collided with mine sharply as she emphasized her point. My grip tightened and I pushed her forwards until we were a step away from the bath. "Turn around."

She smiled and did so, standing before me with one eyebrow raised as she waited for my next move. My hands slid up to her waist, to pull her flush against my chest as my hands slid around to her back to undo the clasp on her bra. But it wasn't there. She giggled at my confusion. "It's got a front clasp."

A frustrated groan left my mouth as Roza turned in my arms and thrust her chest forwards, directly into my hands. An excited gasp left her lips and I smiled, taking more time than was necessary to undo such a small clip. "Do these undo?" My hands skimmed down Roza's sides to play with the bows on each of her hips.

"Sadly, no." Her head fell backwards onto my shoulder as my hand slid round to rest lightly on her stomach before it started making its way south.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Her breath caught as my hand slipped down the front of the lacy panties and her back arched.

"Are you sure you're not telling any fibs?"

"Yes." She moaned as one finger stroked her softly.

"Because then I'd have to punish you, like Tom said." I nipped at her ear and pulled her underwear as far down as possible with my free hand. "So I'll ask you once again, Roza. Are you sure you're not telling any fibs?"

"Yes. No. I don't know any more. Just don't stop what you're doing." Her voice was a pant as her hands gripped at my arm, to hold it in place.

"What if I want to stop?"

"I'm the birthday girl, so you have to do as I say."

I smiled and kissed my way down her neck. "That's fair." Roza sighed happily and relaxed into my hold. "But I think we should enjoy the bath that's waiting for us, before the water goes cold."

A groan left her lips as I removed my hands from her body. "Wait." I stopped, and she turned to face me, her hands resting lightly on my hips as she stared into my eyes.

"You forgot one thing." A surprised yelp left my lips as Roza tugged my boxers down roughly and seized my manhood in her steady grip. My eyes rolled back into my head as she slowly started to slide one of her petite hands from the base, all the way down to the tip and back up again at an excruciatingly slow pace, which only made me harden further.

And then, all too soon, her hand was gone.

My eyes snapped open just in time to see her slender body slip into the bath tub to be obscured from my view by the mountain of bubbles.

I laughed and stood there with my hands on my hips. "That wasn't very nice. You got me all excited for nothing."

She winked. "What goes around, comes around, Comrade."

"Comrade?"

She blushed as I chuckled and climbed in behind her.

"It's what I call you, in my head, when we're intimate. I didn't realize I'd said it out loud."

"Is there any reason for that particular nickname?"

"No. Just those God-awful books you read twenty four/seven."

I laughed and kissed her neck before I pulled her into my arms so that her back was resting against my chest. "Roza, you are one of a kind."

* * *

><p>"Roza. Мой Roza."<p>

Water slopped over the edge of the bath tub as our thrusts grew more wild and unrestrained.

"Fuck. Dimitri." Roza's legs dug into my sides as she clutched at the sides of the bath to give her more leverage as she rocked on top of me, her head thrown back as she panted at the ceiling. "_Fuck_."

"_Roza_." I had no doubt we were going to be reported by the people in the adjoining rooms, but in this moment, I didn't care.

Roza's body tightened around me as she continued to ride me, drawing out both of our orgasms with one quick twist of her hips.

"That. Was… _Tiring_."

A ragged chuckle left my lips at Roza's words. "Tiring? That's the best you could come up with?"

She stared down at me incredulously, the long, wet strands of her hair tickling my face. "We went four times in a row! What did you expect?" She closed her eyes as her chest heaved, and I sat up to pull her chest flush against mine.

"Breath taking. Earth shattering. Mind blowing. Take your pick."

She gave a breathy laugh and rested her face in the crook of my neck. "All of those and more. I just don't have the energy or the breath to waste saying them right now."

My lips searched hers out, and we kissed tenderly.

"Well you better get it back soon, because we're not done yet."

"What do you mean?"

I slipped my arms under hers and stood, her legs wrapped securely around my waist as I reached for one of the bright, fluffy white towels that had The Ritz's emblem embroidered in the corner.

"I mean, I'm going to make love to you in every single part of this suite."

She giggled and leaned back in my arms to pull the towel out of my hands and throw it to the floor before she reached for the shower. "Then I hope that sex in the bath, and sex in the shower count as two separate places."

"Anything for the birthday girl.

* * *

><p>After another hour in the bathroom, we finally made it back into the bedroom, hand in hand, and minus the towels.<p>

The majority of the tea lights had gone out, or were on their way out, which saved me from having to put them all out by hand.

"I'd forgotten how beautiful it all was." Roza pushed up onto her tiptoes to press her lips to mine. "Thank you, again. I know I keep saying it, but I really do mean it. Thank you, Dimitri."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her, holding her to my chest so that she understood that I wasn't going to ever let her go. "You're welcome, Roza."

Our lips touched once again, and Roza lead me over to the bed. We sank down into the middle of it gratefully, our hands already reaching out to pull the other closer as Roza settled herself back comfortably, ready for me to lie down beside or on top of her and make love with her.

_I love you, Roza._ The words were spoken in my head, and even though this was the perfect moment to tell her, I didn't want to overload her. My lips left hers as I trailed hot, hungry kisses down her jawline and across her collar bone as her hands reached down to stroke my already growing erection.

"You're really in the mood tonight, aren't you?" Roza's voice was light and happy as I lifted my head to stare into her eyes.

They were so deep and happy that a smile automatically touched my lips and stayed there, even as I kissed her lightly once again, wanting to taste the warm honey taste of her mouth yet again.

"I don't know what it is about you that makes me feel this way, Roza. I just- I-"

"I know." And the look in her beautiful hazel brown orbs told me that she did know.

My lips resumed their original path, trailing kisses down her shoulder and then over her chest. My lips paused as I reached her cleavage, and Roza's back arched ever so slightly, a clear invitation. I smiled and kissed over and around her breasts as her light sighs filled the air around me before I took one of her nipples into my mouth. It hardened as my tongue skimmed over the sensitive skin and my hand slipped up from Roza's hip to tenderly hold and caress her other breast. Her hands twined themselves into my hair, as her sighs deepened with contentment and her back slowly lowered down to the bed. I smiled and bit her lightly, loving the way her breath caught in her throat at the action as I switched and placed my attention on her other breast.

Pleasure and satisfaction for Roza was my focus point for tonight. If I couldn't tell her, then I'd show her how much she meant to me.

My lips left her chest as my head continued further south, and I paused for a moment to kiss Roza's stomach lovingly. If not for the children she'd fallen pregnant with, carried and born, we would never have met and fallen in love. My moment over, I scooted down the bed slowly, my lips trailing down over Roza's thighs as I spread her legs and situated myself between them. Automatically, she lifted her knees so that her feet were flat against the bed, and I kissed her inner thighs before I looked up to meet her gaze.

"Are you okay with me doing this?"

She nodded and bit her lip. "I think so."

I let my hands run over her legs reassuringly as I pushed myself up so I could kiss her lips lightly. "It's your night, Roza, so you make all of the decisions. Do you want to try it?"

"Yes."

I kissed her again until I felt the tension drain from her body, and then I pulled back. "If you want me to stop, tell me, and I'll stop straight away. Don't let yourself be uncomfortable for any reason, okay?"

She smiled at me this time, and I sunk back down on the bed. My hands held Roza's hips firmly as I kissed down and along her thighs until I reached her entrance.

"Are you sure you're sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure, Dimitri."

She gasped as my tongue slowly circled her entrance before she relaxed once again. It was only a whisper of a kiss as my tongue dipped into the arch of Roza's body, but her back rose off of the bed and a long, drawn out sigh left her lips.

"More?

"Yes."

I smiled and dipped my head again, as a lusty moan left her mouth this time, along with my name. Once I was sure that she was okay with it, the tempo increased. My hands began to massage tender swirls and patterns into Roza's soft thighs and stomach as my tongue dipped and turned and Roza's sighs grew louder and more frequent.

A slightly louder moan escaped her mouth as my tongue flicked over her clit and my fingers entered her instead, speeding her towards her orgasm even faster than before.

"Dimitri." Her voice was a gasp as her hands reached down and yanked at my hair sharply.

"Do you want me to stop?" My fingers kept moving in her, pushing her towards her release as she sighed deeply. "No." I smiled and moved to slide back down again but she kept her grip in my hair. "But I don't want to finish on my own. Come up here." Her hands yanked at my hair, harder this time, and combined with my movement up the bed, our mouths crushed together.

Roza didn't seem to care, her hands slid down over my shoulder blades to curl into the skin of my waist as she wrapped her legs around my hips.

"Please, Dimitri." One tender thrust was all it took for me to slip inside of her and bury myself up to the hilt. "Yes." Roza's hips started to move against mine as I pushed myself up onto my forearms to hold my weight off of her.

"Я люблю тебя." It slipped out before I could stop it, but luckily Roza didn't speak, nor understand Russian. "шахта. мой дом. Я люблю тебя."

Roza was moaning something foreign in my ear at the same time, as her nails dug into my back. "I'm close."

Her body shook under mine as her walls clamped down around me and her head dug back into the pillows. "Don't give up on me yet, Roza." I kept moving, helping her to ride out her first orgasm whilst building up the second one.

She nodded, her breathing rapid as she started moving once again, her hips rocking perfectly in time with mine as I lowered myself slightly, simply wanting to feel the warmth of her body against mine. Her elbows shot out, knocking both of my arms flat and causing me to thud against her, both of our chests crushed against each other's as we continued to move. "That's better. I hate having you so far away."

I chuckled and buried my head into the crook of her neck as my arms slid under her back and wrapped around her body tightly as my thrusts grew deeper and faster.

"Are you close?" This time, my voice was the ragged one as I panted into her ear.

She nodded and turned my face so she could kiss me. "Yes. Do it, right now. Please."

I exploded inside of Roza as her body clamped around me, milking me for all I was worth as we panted roughly into each other's ears.

Instinctively, I rolled onto my back, to avoid crushing Roza with my weight, and she rolled with me.

*** * * End of M scene. * * ***

Sweat trickled down her forehead, and I wiped it away before kissing the top of her head and stroking her back.

"Я люблю тебя."

"What's that mean?" Roza's voice was sleepy and mumbled as she drew lazy circles on my upper arm.

"Ya tebya lyublyu. In English it means, I love you, Roza."

I felt the change in the atmosphere before the change in Roza's body posture. What had been intimate and close was now jack-knifed with tension as Roza shot up into a sitting position.

"What?"

Her eyes were wide and terrified, and I had to fight back the desperation that threatened to take me over.

"I love you."

"No."

That single word felt like an anvil on my chest as Rose flew off of me and glanced wildly around the room. It took me thirty seconds before I was able to push myself up into a sitting position, just in time to hear the door to our suite slam closed.

"говно́!" I cursed and scrambled off of the bed as what had just happened made sense in my head. "Stupid, stupid, stupid Dimitri. Why on Earth did I have to mess it up? Говно́!" I berated myself as I ran into the bathroom, yanked on my boxers and ran out of the room after Roza.

She was at the end of the corridor, in her pyjamas, frantically pressing the call button for the lift.

"Roza!" She glanced fretfully over her shoulder at me and resumed pressing the button, with more urgency this time. "Roza!" I got to her just as the lift doors opened and caught her shoulders, pulling her back and stopping her from getting in and leaving me. "Why did you run? I know I shouldn't have said it then, and it was a bit much, but I've wanted to tell you how I felt for months! And we just never seem to get the chance. I mean, even today, when I tried, I kept getting interrupted…" She turned, and I saw the tears that were streaking down her cheeks. "Why are you crying?"

"Just stop! Stop it, okay!" Her tiny fists shoved at my chest as she tried to yank her arms free.

"What did I do wrong? Roza-"

"Don't call me that!" Her voice was a shriek and I backed up a step. "I'm not going to fall for it again. I won't!" Her eyes were wild as she backed away from me and her back bumped against the now closed lift doors.

"Why not? You were fine with me calling you Roza two minutes ago!" My temper was rising, but I fought to keep control. "What the hell did I do wrong? What did I do to make you flip out?"

"It's what you're going to do. Adrian- Adrian-" She stopped screaming and started sobbing. I stayed where I was, unsure about how she'd react if I tried to comfort her. "He said the exact same thing. _Did_ the exact same thing. Wined me and dined me, and then as soon as he had me trapped, he flipped."

"But I'm not Ad-"

"I know you're not. But what's to say that you won't do what he did?"

"Roza, I would never, ever, hu-"

"That's what he said too! He promised me Dimitri. He said a freaking vow in church, that he would love and protect and honour me for the rest of his life. And not even two years later, he started beating the shit out of me. How do I know you won't do the same? What assurance do I have that you won't get fed up, pack up and leave?"

"I won't."

"Yes, you will."

"No, I won't. Roza," I dropped to my knees and stared up at her, my legs no longer wanting to hold me up. "I don't know what I can say to you. I don't want to have to convince you, because I'm sure that'll only make things worse. But you know, in your heart of hearts, that _I. Love. You_, and you love me too, even if you won't say it. You know, and you believe that I would never do anything to hurt you, or _our_ kids. I know you do."

She squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms tightly around her chest, hugging herself for comfort. "No, I don't."

My vision blurred, and I realized that tears were trickling down my cheeks too. "Roza," My voice cracked, but I kept talking. "I love you like I've never loved anyone before. I'm not a child Roza; I'm not an immature little boy like Adrian. You know _me_. Please, don't walk away. Don't walk away from us, from what we've worked so hard to build up. I love you. Please."

"I- I love you too. But how- how do I know it won't go bad like things did with Adrian? How do I know you won't turn on me as soon as I give myself over to you completely?"

Her voice was closer than I expected, and I blinked through my tears to see her knelt in front of me.

"Because… I don't know Roza. I don't know how to prove to you that all I want, all I _need_ to be happy and content, is you. That all I can think about is marrying you, and making our kids truly ours, and growing old with you and telling you how much I love you every day."

She sniffled and looked me directly in the eye before her expression changed to one of shock. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I'm terrified that I'm going to lose you, and I don't know how I'll cope if I do."

"I don't know how I'd cope either."

I reached out and took her face in mine, forcing her to look me in the eyes. "Then don't. Don't leave, or run away."

"How can you still want me when I'm so broken?"

"You're no-"

"I am, Dimitri." She was crying again, and I pulled her into my arms, happy when she only clutched me tighter rather than try to push me away again. "You've fixed some of my flaws, but other bits are irreparable. How can you be willing to put up with that?"

I leaned back and tilted her face up to meet mine. "Because they're a part of you. I love you, Roza. All of you. And I have flaws too, everyone does. It's what makes us human."

She sniffled. "Have I ever told you that sometimes I hate your ability to put a positive spin on absolutely anything negative?"

"Earlier today, believe it or not."

A small, watery smile broke across her face, and I buried my face in the crook of her neck, sighing happily when her hand reached up to stroke through my hair. "I love you, Roza. Even if you're not able to say it back, I do. I l-"

"I love you too, Dimitri."

The biggest smile imaginable grew on my face as Roza said those five words.

I pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before helping her to stand. "Do you want to stay here tonight, or do you want to go back to the hotel where Mia and the kids are staying?"

"Can we stay?" Her voice was timid and shy.

"It's your birthday, Roza, so you decide." I smiled down at her and she smiled up at me.

"I'd like to stay here with you tonight."

I wrapped my arm around her waist as we turned to walk back to our room.

Simultaneously, almost every door on our floor slammed shut.

"Nosy bastards." Roza muttered as we started walking, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank God I remembered to pick up the room key."

She glanced down at what we were wearing and giggled. "That would have been embarrassing, having to explain how you got locked out in your boxers."

"Hey, like you can talk, Miss Winnie the Pooh pyjamas."

"Winnie the Pooh is perfectly acceptable for both children and adults. Besides, you'd have to go down, since you'd have been the one who got us locked out."

"No, you ran out first."

"Exactly. I ran out and left _you_ in the room, so you're the one who'd be responsible." Her expression sobered up as I placed the key in the lock and opened the door. "Dimitri?"

"Yes, Roza?"

"I'm sorry for running out on you."

I smiled and pulled her through the door.

"Remember the yellow roses and what they mean?"

"Yep." She smiled lightly.

"Well, this is that kind of situation. Remember what the red roses mean?" She nodded and I smiled. "Then you have nothing to be sorry about."

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<br>****Я люблю тебя (ya tebya lyublyu) - I love you  
><strong>**шахта - mine  
><strong>**домой (domoĭ) - home  
><strong>**мой дом (moĭ dom) - my home  
><strong>**ебать меня (yebatʹ menya) - fuck me  
><strong>**говно́ (sgovno) - shit**

**Links to the flower/colour meanings, pictures of the hotel suite etc are on my profile.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen.**

**I wrote a one-shot the other day called 'Beg For It.' Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed it! I was planning to keep it as a one-shot, but a couple of people have asked me to turn it into a story, so I'm asking you to please read it and let me know what you think. Do you think it has the potential to become a short story? Or is it better left as I originally intended it? It's rated M, and is **_**very**_** lemony, so only read it if you're okay with that sort of thing. There's nothing disturbing or kinky in it, so hopefully you'll enjoy it.**

**For some reason I just couldn't find the energy to write this chapter. It was horrible, feeling so de-motivated every time I tried to do it. This was the best I could come up with, though I'm still not completely happy with it. I hope you enjoy it anyway. This chapter has not been proof-read. As soon as I get it back from my beta I'll replace it with the edited version.**

**Jbowencox – thank you! :)**

**Briana b – Awww thank you so much! I'm so glad that it gave you that reaction :) and I'm really pleased that you enjoyed the chapter!**

**Panky95 – Hehe, thank you! :) I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the chapter just as much xx**

**Dianne – Thank you for the amazing review! What you say is very true, but yes, Dimitri will stick by her side to help her regain what Adrian has broken apart and ruined. He'll have to work hard, but with persistence and patience she'll learn that things with Adrian are a part of her past, and that this truly is her fresh start and new chance at happiness. Dimitri is most definitely a modern day knight in shining armour, and Rose is starting to realise that, but of course, she can't help but flashback to what happened in the past. But her feelings, and the reactions of the kids towards Dimitri will help her to get past that in the future. Hehe, that scene in the hall was one of my favourites to write, even though it was heart-wrenching at the same time. It gave Dimitri another chance to prove to Rose just how much he loves her, and enabled her to see the depths of his feelings and begin to accept the fact that there is someone out there who loves her, for who she truly is. Adrian… that guy is so twisted I have no idea just how far he'll go. But you're right; he's not stupid enough to go after Dimitri. But he is going to go out of his way to cause trouble and to try to continue to mess up the little bit of happiness and peace that Rose has managed to find. Regarding going to court and things like that, it'll all be revealed in the upcoming chapters! xx**

**Yanis – thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)**

**One last DPOV.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV. <strong>

I smiled when I woke up the next day, my eyes opening to meet bright hazel ones staring back at me. Roza was in my arms, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my chest as she waited patiently for me to wake up.

"Good morning, Roza."

"Morning, Dimitri."

She leant in to press her lips to mine gently and I pulled her closer, the bare skin of our bodies brushing against each other's as she giggled and kissed me more enthusiastically.

"Я люблю тебя."

"Seni seviyorum."

My brow furrowed. "I have no idea what that means, Roza."

Her voice was soft as she answered me, her fingers tracing the outline of my lips as she spoke. "What you just told me in Russian, I just told you in Turkish. I love you."

"I love you too."

"I love you with all my heart, Dimitri Belikov."

"I love you with all of mine too, Rosemarie Hathaway."

"Are we going to seriously lie here and do this all morning?"

I chuckled and buried my face in her hair. "Why not? I love to hear the words roll off of your lips. 'I love you, Dimitri.' I can't get enough of it."

"Fine. I love you, Dimitri, but I'm hungry." A wicked tone entered her voice. "You kept me up until four o'clock this morning and it's-" she paused to look at the large grandfather clock in the corner of the room. "Only ten o'clock now. I've had less than six hours sleep."

"I'd like to say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

"I can tell. The memory of last night seems to have woken you up completely."

A wide grin broke across my lips as I rolled onto my back and lifted Roza up, placing her body directly over my hips. "You weren't complaining last night."

A contented sigh left both of our lips as she rocked forwards, her hands pressing lightly into my chest.

"You seem to favour this position a lot, comrade. Is there a particular reason for that?"

I smiled as she mimicked my question from the previous night, before letting my hands caress her hips as I answered. "I love it when you're in control. You look so strong and beautiful when you make the decisions about how fast or rough or deep we go." She smiled and my hands lifted to cup her breasts gently. "And from down here, the view's amazing too."

A surprised laugh escaped Roza's mouth as she slapped at my chest. "You continually shock me, Dimitri Belikov. You say the sweetest things, but then you go and show that you have a mind and mouth that can be as dirty as sin."

"I'm full of hidden surprises, Roza."

She nodded in agreement as she leant forwards to press her mouth to mine. "That's very true. And luckily for me, they're all good."

* * *

><p>Roza sighed in exasperation as we finally began to pack our bags so we could check out.<p>

"You're serious about us cleaning up?"

"Yep. I'm still in shock at just how much mess we made last night."

The sofa table was pushed up against the wall, the chairs that were positioned in front of it knocked over from our round in that corner of the room. God, I loved it when Roza's wild, fierce side came out. And it certainly came out once I sat her down on that spindly table top and wrapped her legs around my waist. A smile curved my lips with the memory. Roza sat on the table. Roza laid out on the table. Roza straddling me on the table, and then again on the chair.

An empty champagne bottle laid discarded in the corner, along with an empty strawberry carton. The bowl with the remnants of the melted chocolate we ordered from room service was a little way away, looking sad and lonely now that its contents aren't being smeared on either mine or Roza's bodies so that we can lick it off of the other.

"Hey, Belikov!" Roza snapped her fingers in front of my face, and I blinked her face into focus. "If I'm not allowed to stand around, neither are you. Get to work."

"Have I ever told you that I love it when you get bossy and strict?"

A smile curved her lips and she giggled. "Several times. And you also told me how much of a turn on it is."

I grinned and took a step towards her, cocking my head when she squealed and backed up a step.

"Stay right where you are, Belikov. I mean it!" The words were stern, but she giggled as she spoke, betraying the truth of her feelings.

"I don't think you do."

I stepped forwards once again, and even though a stubborn expression covered her face, she backed up another step. "We need to clean the room."

"The room can wait."

Before she could answer I lunged forwards and wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her to my chest as we stumbled in the direction of the bed. Her lips met mine eagerly, despite the contradictory words that left her mouth.

"We have to check out by twelve thirty."

My lips ghosted down the side of her neck. "We have half an hour. That's plenty of time."

"But…" A moan escaped from her throat as I nipped at her earlobe. "We still need to tidy up. There are flower petals _everywhere_." A breathy gasp left her mouth and her fingers curled into the hem of my shirt. "Fuck it. Let the maids clean it up."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

Dimitri hummed as he opened the passenger door to Mia's lemon yellow mini, before shutting it behind me.

"Stop looking so smug and full of yourself, or you'll regret it."

He chuckled as he buckled himself in and started the engine. "I didn't do anything."

"It's the look on your face. You've got that look that you get when you know you've done something right." The bastard had the nerve to chuckle and grin even wider than before. "You wouldn't be smiling like that if I said it was the last time you were ever going to get your hands on this," I gestured to my body. "Would you?"

He choked and paled as his attention switched from the road to my face. "You're not serious?"

"Completely. A hundred percent." At his incredulous expression I decided to make a stronger threat. "Even more serious than Tom when he's talking about Hot Wheels."

"Ебать."

I laughed as Dimitri cursed in Russian.

"I told you you'd regret it."

Dimitri's glower only made me giggle even more.

* * *

><p>"Roza?"<p>

We were a few streets away from the hotel, and had spent the majority of the short drive just enjoying each other's company. There was no need for idle chatter between the two of us; whenever we fell silent an easy peace enveloped us. That was part and parcel of finding the person who you loved entirely, and who loved you just as strongly in return. Some couples needed to talk to each other constantly; we were one of those who were fine with sitting in silence, just enjoying the luxury of simply being with each other.

"Yes?"

"At risk of making you freak out again like you did last night, I wanted to ask you something serious."

He didn't say anything more as he pulled into the hotel car park, and found a spot that was close to the exit before he turned to face me and took my hand in his.

"You're not going to ask me to marry you, are you? Because even though I'd love to become Mrs. Belikov, I don't know if I can do that, Dimitri. I don't know if I'm ready to take that step, or to even consider it right now. I mean, last night was a _big_ step for me, admitting how I really felt about you, and while I don't regret it, I-"

Dimitri's finger over my mouth stopped my panicked babble. "Calm down, Roza. I just wanted to ask you if you'd like to move." When I opened my mouth to comment he covered my mouth once again. "Just hear me out, please?" I nodded and he removed his hand. "On my birthday, you asked me to move in with you, and I did. I _love_ living with you and the kids, Roza. I really do. The atmosphere, the ease, the comfort we're in, we're all living together in a home. _But_, it's too small. I don't say that to offend you, I know the reasons why you're there, but it's the truth. We can't go on living like that. Even if we hadn't gotten together, _you_ wouldn't have been able to continue on like that. Alyssa's at the point where she needs her own space, and so is Katrina. Pretty soon, Tom will too. And most of all, you need space, Roza. We need space. We need a room that's ours. We can't sleep on the sofa-bed for the rest of our lives, no matter how comfortable it is. So, I was thinking that maybe, we could look to buy a house together, in the same area that you're living in now, so that it doesn't cause too much disruption. If we combine our pay checks like we do now, we should be able to afford it without too much strain to our finances. And once my flat's sold, we can use that money to pay towards the cost of the house."

I could see Dimitri's point of view, and to be honest, I didn't blame him. It was something I'd known would happen eventually, something that needed to happen. We did need our own space, a room that was 'mum and dad's room'.

"Okay, but I have one condition."

"What's that?" Dimitri seemed genuinely surprised that I hadn't put up a fight about it.

"We ask the council for a house swap. I know that there are a lot of merits to owning your own house, but renting from the council has lots of cons too. If there's any problem with the house, they come out and fix it. It takes a few days, but you know that they'll get it done, and you don't have to pay for it. It's cheaper than paying a mortgage, and sometimes the houses are better quality. All in all, it's better value."

"But if we bought a house, it'd be ours. And then you could pass it on to the kids."

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life paying off that debt. We need a five bedroomed house. If we bought one, it would cost us hundreds of thousands. There's no way we'd ever finish paying that off before we grew old and grey. If I have a house, I want to be able to enjoy owning it while I'm young enough to fully enjoy all the perks. And how would we choose which child to pass it on to? By the time it came for us to pass it on, or for them to inherit it after we'd popped our clogs, they'd already have their own houses with their own families. They'd likely just sell it as soon as they could anyway, to put the money towards whatever they felt was more important."

"That's a fair point." Like the good-natured soul that he was, Dimitri got out of the car and walked round to open the door for me. "We don't have to decide right now, Roza. Let's research how we'd go about doing a house swap, and if that doesn't seem to be successful, we'll look at buying a house."

* * *

><p><strong>Can anyone help me? It wasn't originally planned for this story, but due to the way that things have started to go, it looks like there's going to be a whole court scenebattle. I'm not sure yet, but the storyline keeps adjusting with every chapter I write. So I'm wondering if anyone who reads this fanfiction is a lawyer or has studied law? If you have, would you be willing to help me out when I'm writing the court scene? (if one does end up happening?) I'd just need general information on the way that things would progress, and how to present certain arguments etc, nothing too detailed or complex. If you would, I'd be incredibly grateful, and I'll make you, or a character of your choosing, the kick-ass lawyer in the story as thanks so everyone can see how brill you are! ;)**

**Translations:**

Я люблю тебя – I love you (Russian).

Seni seviyorum – I love you (Turkish).

Ебать - fuck.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen.**

**Please check out 'The Pride: Savannah's side' by untamed00notbroken. She's an amazing author, and I can't believe that she hasn't got more reviews! Please have a read of it!**

**Yanis – thanks sweetie! :) The court battle won't be too far away unfortunately, it all depends on how the storyline plays out if I'm honest. Lol, well if you study anything on marital law or domestic abuse cases let me know! Even the tiniest bit of info would help! :) xx**

**Panky95 – thank you! And thank you for the advice! I'll make sure to do that :) And yes, Lissa is going to appear in the story. I know I keep saying that it's going to be soon, but it's taking slightly longer than I originally thought it would. But I promise, she will be in the story! :) xx**

**Clair95 – I hope this is enough! :D And I've decided that I'm going to add another chapter or two to Beg For It. They should go up at some point during the week :) xx**

* * *

><p>"<em>Get off of me!" My voice was a screech as I clawed at my attacker's face, trying desperately to lash out in any way that would get me free from their tight grasp. <em>

_One of my palms made contact with their cheek, snapping their face to the side as the sharp smacking sound ricocheted off of the walls surrounding us. At least, I thought they were walls. It seemed like we were in an alleyway, but it was too dark too see properly, and my attention was focused on getting away from the creep in front of me. Their face was cloaked in shadows, making it impossible for me to tell whether they were male or female, but the strength of their hold, and their height gave a good indication that my attacker was a guy._

_Just as their grip fell away, their leg shot out, connecting sharply with my knee, causing me to cry out as my leg gave way and I rumpled to the ground. My hands instantly shot out to break my fall and my wrists jarred from the impact, the palms of my hands scraping along the asphalt. Pain shot through my arms, but it was soon numbed by the overwhelming fear that threatened to choke me as I stared up at my aggressor._

_The flash of white in the otherwise near-pitch blackness made me shake with terror as I tried to back away from them, scooting on my bottom so that I didn't put any pressure on my now injured leg._

_Their grin sent shivers down my back as they advanced forwards, stalking towards me as though they were a jungle cat, hunting down their prey._

_Out of instinct, once they were close enough, my uninjured leg shot up and outwards, making its impact right between their legs. They groaned and doubled over, and I used that advantage to boost myself to my feet and back away as quickly as possible. _

_I couldn't turn my back on them, even though it was the smartest thing to do. I should have turned my back and hobbled out of there as fast as I could, but I didn't want to turn my back and be completely defenceless. At least this way, I could see when they recovered and think of what to do._

_Just as I managed to put a few feet of space between us, they looked up. Their eyes, cold as ice, bored into mine, making me freeze on the spot and then back away even faster, terror clutching at my lungs._

"_Roza!" The heavenly shout came from the opposite end of the alleyway, and stupidly, I turned in that direction._

_Dimitri was there, bathed in the white light that shone from the streetlight next to him. The light reflected off of his silky chestnut coloured hair, surrounding him in a bright glow that almost made him seem other worldly, like an angel or protector sent down from above. His face was warm and welcoming as he held his arms out towards me._

_A smile covered my face as a sigh of relief left my lips. "Dimitri!" _

_My safe haven, I started to limp towards him with more enthusiasm, the throbbing pain in my knee fading away with the assurance that I'd soon be safe and sound._

_Until his expression changed to one of terror._

"_Roza! Look out!" He was staring over my shoulder, horror plastered across his face as whatever he could see advanced._

_My attacker._

_I turned, fright gripping me as I tried to steady myself for the fight that was sure to unfold._

_But they didn't do anything._

_Instead, something splashed over me, wetting my face, hair, neck and my clothes._

"_Roza!"_

_I blinked in surprise, not understanding what had happened, and why Dimitri was screaming so desperately. _

_Until the burning started._

_My body felt like it was on fire, the exposed areas of my flesh feeling like they were being melted and peeled off by whatever had been thrown on me._

_Acid._

_The realisation slammed into me as an agonised wail sounded in the air. Distantly, I realised that I was the one thrashing on the ground, keening and screaming like a dying animal as the acid ate away at my skin, ruining my body and mind permanently, and slowly, killing me._

"_Roza!"_

_Dimitri's choked shouts filled my ears as a chilling laugh filled the air. Adrian's laugh. Through my melting lids I saw one last image. His cruel face, filled with malice, hovering above mine as he grinned. _

"_And now for your kids."_

I woke up, shrieking and sobbing as I scratched and clawed at the body beside mine, trying desperately to push them off so I could get to my children to protect them.

Adrian. I couldn't let Adrian get to them.

"Roza! Calm down!"

The body threw me down and pinned my arms above my head as they straddled my waist, keeping my legs immobile with their heavier weight.

"NO! LET. ME. GO! NOW!" My voice cracked with the intensity of my shouts, but the body didn't release my hands. Instead, they held my wrists together with one hand and shook me roughly with the other.

"Roza! Stop! You're safe!"

Even the familiar nickname didn't soothe me like it usually did; instead, it only served to make me thrash even more frantically, convinced I was still trapped back in the alleyway.

"NO!"

"ROZA!"

_Smack_.

A slapping sound echoed off of the walls as a stinging pain radiated in my left cheek.

I froze, and so did the body on top of me.

Slowly, ever so slowly, my eyelids cracked open, to find Dimitri straddling me. His eyes were wide with worry and sorrow as his chest heaved and he stared down at me.

"Roza? Can you hear me? Are you- are you okay?"

Mutely I nodded, and after a long minute Dimitri released my hands, staring down into my eyes as he climbed off of my body to kneel beside me.

I was in my sofa-bed. In my house. With Dimitri. Safe and sound.

"Mum?"

My head turned to the side, to find Katrina and Alyssa standing beside the sofa, worry plastered across their small faces. Their hair was mussed from sleep, but their eyes were wide and alert, panic swimming in their blue and green depths.

"Mummy?"

They both moved to the side, revealing Tom stood in the doorway, his battered old teddy clutched in one hand as he stared at the four of us.

"Why are all the lights on?" My voice was scratchy and hoarse, and my cheek throbbed as I spoke.

Alyssa answered. "We switched them on when we heard you yelling."

"Did you hit me?" I sat up shakily, and my hand rose to cradle my burning cheek as my eyes locked onto Dimitri's. Katrina opened her mouth to answer, but I held up a hand to stop her before she started. "I said, Dimitri, did you hit me?"

His eyes met mine, sadness and regret the prominent emotions as he nodded. "Yes, bu-"

"Get. Out." My voice was a whisper.

"Roza, please. I didn't hit you because I wanted t-"

"I don't want to hear it. I said, get out!"

"Mum, it's not Dimitri's fault. He had t-"

"Katrina, Alyssa, take your brother with you and go to bed. Now." I pushed myself off of the sofa.

"Mum, don't kick Dimitri out. It wasn't his fault. We told him t-" Katrina was speaking now, her eyes wide and innocent as she took a step towards me.

"Go to bed. Now Katrina. Alyssa Marie Hathaway, don't you even dare open your mouth to argue with me. Bed. Now."

"Yes mum." I watched as they both backed away towards the door and took a hold of Tom's small hands before I turned to Dimitri.

"I said, get out."

His expression was devastated as he stepped towards me. "Roz-" I flinched and backed away.

"Get out."

"R-"

"Now!" My voice was a shriek. "I don't want you in here. Pack your shit and get out of my flat! NOW!" A heavy tear fell from my eye as Dimitri took a step back, but I wiped it away furiously. "You're just like him. I'm such an idiot. This is how it all starts."

Dimitri's face twisted and I looked away, not wanting to see the hurt that would flash in his eyes. "Roza. I wouldn't have hit you if I di-"

"_If you didn't have to_. I've heard it all before." My laugh was cold and humourless. "Been there, done that. Got the t-shirt." My cheek throbbed with every word I spoke, and I pressed the back of my hand to it to cool it.

"Let me get you some ice for your cheek, Roza. And then when you've calmed down we can tal-"

"What I want is for you to get your things, and get out. Now, Dimitri." My voice wobbled as I stepped towards the phone. "Or else I'm calling the police."

* * *

><p>Tears streamed down my cheeks as Dimitri packed up his clothes and books, using a small cardboard box to carry them out to his car, a few at a time.<p>

"I'm so stupid." My voice broke as he picked up the last lot. "I always fall for the guys who seem perfect. I knew this was going to happen, yet I still tried to fool myself into thinking that this time would be different."

"I didn't mean it, Roza. You were in hysterics, and you wouldn't wake up when I called you or shook you… I didn't want to hit you! Roza, I lo-"

"No you don't. And I don't love you either. So we've both lied to each other from day one." I looked up into his warm, chocolate brown eyes one last time, biting on my lip to choke down the sob that threatened to escape as I held my hand out. "My key."

Anguish filled his eyes as he dumped his things on the doorstep, roughly pawing through the pockets of his clothes to find his wallet. "Here." He dropped the cool piece of metal into my palm, but curled his fingers around mine when I tried to pull my hand back. He lifted my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles like the first day in class, before he laid my palm flat against the left side of his chest. "My heart beats for you, Roza. I love you, even if you don't believe it, and I hate the fact that I had to raise my hand against you earlier tonight. When you decide to stop lying to yourself, and to me, I'll be waiting for you."

He dropped my hand then, and bent to pick up his things.

Once he stood again, I said the only thing that would cut our connection completely. The only thing that would stop him from holing out hope of ever winning me back. "I don't want to see you ever again. You're no better than Adrian."

His lips hardened, but his eyes grew more mournful, if that was possible as one lone tear trickled down his face. "Bye, Roza."

Tears streaked down my cheeks as I watched Dimitri Belikov walk down the steps and out of my life.

* * *

><p>"You're so stupid, mum!" Alyssa's defiant voice made me jump as I shut the front door behind me.<p>

"You shouldn't have kicked dad out like that. He was only trying to help." Katrina chimed in behind her.

"And you're both supposed to be in bed. Asleep."

They rolled their eyes at me and stepped closer.

Obviously they were playing the role of good cop, bad cop; with Alyssa as the bad, no nonsense cop and Katrina as the nice one who smoothed things over and softened the blow.

Alyssa started. "We would have been, if you hadn't started screaming the house down."

"Dad was trying to wake you up nicely."

"But you were fighting in your sleep; you looked like you were trying to club him to death."

"We put the main lights on because we thought that might wake you up."

"But you didn't. You just kept screaming about Adrian and how he was going to hurt us and stuff."

"So we told dad to pin you down, but you kept thrashing and struggling. Even when he yelled really, really loudly."

"So we told him to slap you." Katrina finished almost happily.

"You what?" I stared at them both in shock.

"We told him to slap you." Alyssa's tone of voice made it sound obvious.

"It's what you're supposed to do when someone's hysterical. We saw it in a video in school." Katrina piped up.

"He didn't want to do it. But you kept screaming and we can't hit hard enough."

"He really didn't want to mum. He shut his eyes and everything when he did it." Katrina's voice was a whisper. "He looked like he wanted to cry."

"But why didn't he tell me that!"

"You wouldn't let him!" They spoke in unison.

"You kept yelling at him to get out…" Katrina started.

"Because you're too scared of what Adrian did in the past to accept your future." Alyssa finished.

"I'm not!" They both stared at me incredulously as they waited for the truth to hit me like a battering ram. "Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no." My voice was frantic as I turned and wrenched the door open, to find the parking spot outside our flat empty. "He left. He really left."

A fresh batch of tears trickled down my cheeks as I stared at the empty space, waiting as though Dimitri and his car were going to suddenly materialise out of thin air.

"I've lost him forever."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen.**

I'm back! I apologise greatly for the extremely long time you've had to wait for me to get my butt into gear, get back into my writing groove, and type up something that wasn't a load of rubbish! I do have to admit, it wasn't my entire fault, but I'll try my hardest to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

Also, I do not in any way endorse or encourage abortion. The comments made in this chapter are simply the views of Adrian and his warped mind.

This chapter isn't beta'ed as I wanted to get it up asap, but once I get the clean copy back, I'll re-post this one.

A lot of people were berating Rose for her actions in the last chapter, and even though I'm the author, I was doing it too! But I have to remind you that it's not all her fault. Her past with _Adrian_ is the reason why she second guesses Dimitri's actions, and why their relationship has to progress so slowly. She needs time to change her mind set, and her dominant response in those sorts of situations. Once she's healed mentally, things will be a lot smoother. :)

**IMPORTANT! Rose and Lissa **_**will**_** meet up again. I keep saying it! It's taking a while, but it will happen! I promise! It will be sweet, it will be teary, it will be emotional, and I hope that you'll love it!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian POV.<strong>

I scowled at the whisky in my glass before I downed it in one.

This was that entire ugly bitch's fault. Rose, the fucking _bitch_ who ruined my life.

My life, my fucking perfect life, was falling to shit because of _her_.

Camille was acting like a prissy bitch because she 'wanted her daughter back'.

Like she really gave a shit, she just wanted the parents at the school to stop giving her odd looks because Katrina no longer came home with us. Her reputation was 'in tatters' supposedly. I didn't give a fuck about the little bitch. As far as I was concerned, things were better without her. Daniel was perfect; a carbon copy of me, and the house was no longer filled with her suffocating presence.

_Daddy, can you take me to the park?_

_Daddy, can you help me with my homework?_

_Daddy, daddy, daddy._

All that every exited her tiny mouth was 'daddy' and then some stupid, inane request.

So, in a way, it was a good thing that Rosemarie had taken her off my hands. The brat was one piece of baggage I didn't need.

However, I was pissed that I'd been caught out.

Why on Earth did the little bitch feel the need to go and become best friends with Rose's spawn? Why couldn't she have been a goddamned nerd or loner? I honestly couldn't see how she'd even managed to make any friends, but then again, Rose's brats were just as pathetic as she was. At times, I found it hard to believe that they were in fact, my children.

_Ugh_. Just thinking about it made me shudder with revulsion.

Everything had been going so well… and then that one mishap, that one ill-timed meeting in the playground had thrown a spanner in the works.

Rose had been oblivious to my double life, to the fact that she'd been my stand in woman while I saved the profit from the bar I'd opened with Simon to build mine and Camille's dream house. Rose had never questioned where the money came from, or why I spent so little time at 'our' house, until later on in the relationship. And then, she'd slowly and quietly left the picture, especially after the threats I'd left her.

_But_, Katrina just had to open her little gob and spin her little sob story. Not content with ruining my life by simply being alive, she had to go and give Rose a cause, a reason to be.

And by doing that, she'd sealed not only her own, but everyone else's fate.

It was at times like this that I wished the abortion had worked. In moments like this, I cursed Camille for forgetting to take her birth control, and the condom for splitting.

'A freak accident,' the doctor had said. 'In most cases, abortion works. But sometimes, rarely, the pill that we administer doesn't work, or is broken down by the body, and the pregnancy continues.'

That month, that extra month was all it had taken for Camille to change her mind.

When she'd first taken the pregnancy test, like me, she was sure that she didn't want a baby. _We_ didn't want a baby.

It was too early, and Rose was pregnant too.

How on Earth was I supposed to support two women, and two children?

Rose was too far along in her pregnancy, and she'd decided almost instantaneously that she was keeping the baby, regardless of whether I wanted her to or not.

But Camille was like me in her mind-set, and much too vain to give up her perfectly sculpted figure that easily. Abortion was the only option. Easy, quick and simple.

Sure, Camille had her doubts afterwards, and was a bit weepy for the few days that followed… I left her to it.

I wasn't sad to see that baby go, and I wasn't interested in coddling Camille and making her feel better about herself. If she wasn't able to cope with the 'guilt', she should have remembered her damn contraceptive in the first place.

But even that hadn't been enough. The baby had somehow made it through, and that knowledge changed Camille's mind completely. She was exited, and happy to be having a baby, and gladly withdrew from the university course.

At least, until Katrina was born.

Then she remembered all the reasons why she hadn't wanted a baby in the first place.

But by then, it was too late, and we were stuck with a baby we didn't want, or need.

Katrina was definitely one of those people who should have been drowned at birth.

"Camille!" My voice was rough and gravelly from the bottle of whiskey I'd been nursing all evening.

"What?"

My temper spiked bat her tone of voice.

"Don't talk to me like that. Get down here now!"

Thinking about Katrina had put me in a bad mood. That combined with my slightly drunken state meant my temper was not at its best. I wasn't a lightweight - years of heavy drinking will do that to you - but if I drank enough of something strong, I was susceptible to falling under the influence.

I waited for Camille to get her scrawny ass down the stairs. And waited. And waited.

"CAMILLE!" My shout was more of a roar, one that probably woke up Daniel, as I stood up angrily and marched towards the door. She didn't appear at the top of the stairs, and my anger bumped up a notch. "When I say to get your ass downstairs, I don't expect to have to repeat myself!" My footsteps were loud as I stomped up the stairs and into our bedroom.

Camille was curled up in bed, the bedside lamp on as she flicked through the pages of one of her irritatingly stupid fashion magazines.

She barely spared me a glance as I stepped through the doorway, and resumed marking down which pieces of clothing she wanted.

"Camille."

My tone was final, as I stared at her, waiting for a response.

She took her time in shutting the magazine, and then placing it on the bedside table, along with her pen and paper before she looked back up at me. "Yes, honey?"

"I called you to come downstairs."

"I know." Her gaze wasn't challenging, but it was… defiant? No, it was more open, but less rebellious than that. I couldn't put a word to it. She was stating the obvious, but my drunken mind wasn't in the mood to put up with it.

"When I call you, I expect to be answered. If I tell you to get downstairs, you get downstairs."

A smile touched her face, and she lifted the covers to reveal what she was wearing underneath. Or rather, what she wasn't.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get your sexy self upstairs." Her voice was a purr, and my shirt and trousers had hit the floor by the time I joined her on the bed, my anger forgotten. "I've been waiting for the last thirty minutes for you to join me." Her voice turned into a moan as my hands skimmed along her bare flesh. "All I've had to sate my needs are these pictures and my little pink rabbit." Her breath caught as my lips grazed across the sensitive skin of her stomach and made their way further south. "But it's nothing compared to the real thing."

* * *

><p>Last night had been good, excellent, in fact, but the memory wasn't enough to keep my mind from wandering back to Rose and the brat.<p>

They were both on my mind constantly, and with them came thoughts of _Dimitri_, mine and Rose's three brats, and of the trouble that they could all cause if they put their minds to it.

A sly smile crossed my face as I slipped down the side alley and made my way towards the battered back door. Three sharp loud knocks was all it took for the door to be opened just a crack.

There was no going back now. This would put them all out of the picture, and set my mind at ease. If I couldn't take them all out, I'd get rid of Dimitri and the blonde brat, at least. They were my main concerns.

And with them gone, Rose would crumble, her kids would be taken away from her, and my work would be done.

_Dimitri_ needed to go, since he was the ringleader in all of this. Without his influence, or presence, Rose would have stayed at the bottom of the food chain. She would still be at my beck and call.

"Yo, wassup? What do ya need, bro?"

My face grew sombre as I stared at the young drug dealer.

This was a well-known area for drug dealing, prostitution and arms dealing. The last one was what I was most interested in, at the moment. The police knew about this area, everyone did, but despite the constant raids, people still made their way back to this area to sell their 'wares'.

"A gun."

His face split into a wide smile, revealing several gold teeth, and a few yellowed ones. "What type?"

"One that'll shoot the bastard I want out of the picture, well and truly dead."

"Cash, or cash?"

"Cash, of course."

"Price limit?"

"None, so long as I get one that's worth what I'm paying and will do the job."

His grin widened even more as he opened the door fully to let me in. "I've got the perfect one."

* * *

><p><strong>I know it's short, but I don't want to have the APOV and the RPOV in the same chapter. Chapter eighteen should be up within a few days!<strong>

**Clair95 – I know I'm going to sound really awful, but I changed my mind again :( I haven't had the time to write another chapter for Beg For It, so for now, I'm going to leave it as a one-shot. When I have more time, and university's settled down, I'll try to write up the extra chapter's I promised. Xx**

**Yanis – lmao. The girls probably woulda done that, if they were older. They're only 11 atm, so they still do as they're told.**

**XxRoseDimitrixX – Awww thank you! :') And yes, Rose and Lissa will be re-uniting, not just yet, but soon! Hope you enjoyed the chapter xx**

**Jbowencox – thank you! :)**

**Random Girl P – here you go!**

**GennyH – I will do!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen.**

**I'm thinking about changing the summary slightly, so that it suits the story more. Which one do you think is better?**

**Current summary:** All Human! Rose, a single mother, who lives a hard life with her three children. What happens when she signs up for night classes and meets the kind and sexy Dimitri Belikov? A romance with lots of sugar and spice! Rated M for lemons in later chapters. / M for lemons from middle chapter on.

**Adapted summary:** All Human! Rose, a single mother, who lives a hard life with her three children. What happens when she signs up for night classes and meets the kind and sexy Dimitri Belikov? What happens when her abusive ex forces his way back into the picture?

**AH - I didn't put the A.N up this time. I deleted it and posted the proper chapter eighteen - it's not my fault that the site took over 30mins to actually remove it and let you see the proper chapter! I couldn't see the proper chapter either. :(**

**DXR – I honestly can't answer. It's terrible that there are people out there who feel like that and treat their children so horribly. :( **

**GennyH – Lol! He is!**

**Yanis – Hehe, he definitely does! :D**

**Lexa – hope you like it!**

**A nice quick update! :) Once again, this chapter is un-beta'ed, but I shall post up the edited version once I get it back.**

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

_I smiled at Tom's avid interest at the film on the television, and turned to find Dimitri watching me. _

_His facial expression was soft, a smile hinting at his lips as he stared at me for a few moments longer before his eyes met mine and lit up slightly, until Katrina and Alyssa reclaimed his attention, needing help with their maths homework._

_He did that often, and it was a comfort that also sent a little thrill through me. There was no menace in his eyes, no threat to look out for. It was simply a visual caress, a look that told me how he was feeling, and made me warm all over._

The scene blurred and changed.

"_Mum!"_

"_Yes, Tom?"_

_I turned on the sofa and scooped him up onto my lap. His bright, emerald green eyes bored into mine as he searched my gaze for something, and frowned when he didn't find it._

"_Where's dad?"_

_My chest constricted and I had to shut my eyes briefly to stop the tears from welling up and spilling over. "He's at his home."_

"_Why? Is it because of your bad dream?"_

"_A little bit. I just, I said something mean, and so he's staying at his house until I can work things out."_

"_You should say sorry. That makes it better. And then kiss him on the nose so he smiles."_

_I laughed, even though the sound was forced and empty. "I wish it was that easy Tom. But what I said, what I did, can't be fixed that easily."_

"_Do you miss him?"_

_Tom's voice was sad when he spoke and I looked down at him in confusion. His face was tilted away from mine, hidden in my top so I couldn't see his expression. _

"_Yes."_

"_Are you sure?" His voice wobbled, and I tried to tilt his face upwards, but he clutched at my top tighter and kept his head down._

"_More than you could ever imagine. Do you?"_

_A little sniffle sounded from his mouth and he nodded. "Then just say sorry. I want my dad back. I wanna play Hot Wheels and wrestling and- and- I want him back. Just say sorry. That's what you always tell me to do when I'm mean to Sophia." His body shook as he whispered that one poignant sentence repeatedly. "I want my dad back." The same sentence I'd heard constantly from Sophia, Alyssa and Katrina._

_I want my dad back._

_I want my dad back._

_I want my dad back._

Thunder rumbled and lightning crashed outside the front room window.

Something was wrong.

I never usually woke up in the middle of the night, and not during a thunderstorm, unless one of the kids needed me, but something felt wrong. My gut churned with unease as I sat up and looked around me.

The house was quiet, still, like its sleeping inhabitants. But a nagging sensation at the back of my mind told me that something was up. Something big. My feet padded softly across the floor as I checked all of the rooms. If anyone had been hiding in the front room I would have known.

The kitchen was empty.

So was the bathroom.

The coat cupboard was empty, except for our shoes, coats and the vacuum cleaner.

Silently, I flicked the light on in the bedroom. At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Alyssa and Katrina were sprawled out at opposite ends of their bed, their faces peaceful and calm in slumber. Sophia was curled up in her little bed, her favourite Barbie doll beside her on the pillow as she smiled in her sleep and rolled over.

But there was something glaringly wrong with this picture.

Tom's bed was empty.

My heart jumped into my throat as my eyes searched the room frantically.

Hiss sheets were pulled back, as though he'd gotten out of bed to go to the toilet. However, his slippers were gone from beside his bed, and so was his school bag.

Alyssa stirred as I yanked open the bottom draw of the chest of drawers that they all shared. Alyssa had the top drawer, Katrina had the second, Sophia the third, and Tom's was the bottom one, to make it easier for him to reach and see inside.

His Ben Ten pyjamas were missing, as were several pairs of socks and underwear.

His favourite top was gone, as was his teddy bear and his school trousers that should have been hanging on the wardrobe handle.

"Alyssa!" My voice was frantic as I shook her shoulders. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" Her eyes drooped as she half sat up, and then flopped back down onto her pillow.

"Where's Tom?"

"In bed." She yawned and reached down to pull the covers up and over her shoulders.

"He's not! Where did he go?"

One of her eyes cracked open as she looked at me incredulously. "Probably to the toilet, mum. I _was_ asleep, how am I supposed to know where he is?"

Panic seized my throat. "I'm calling the police."

* * *

><p>"Whoever this is, it better be important." Mia's grumpy voice snapped through the phone. I didn't blame her; it was two o'clock in the morning.<p>

"Mia?" My voice trembled and I clutched at the phone tighter.

"Rose? Are you okay? Why are you ringing me in the middle of the night?"

"Mia?" My throat seized up as I tried to speak, and a hot tear leaked down my cheek. God, I sounded like a child. "Ha- have y-" I hiccupped as a sob threatened to overwhelm me, and I had to bite on my bottom lip to keep it in.

"Rose?" Mia's tone was worried, and I could hear her bed sheets rustling as she sat up. I could just imagine her rubbing at her eyes tiredly as she tried to think up a reasonable excuse for my late night call. "What's wrong?"

"T- Tom. Is he there? At your house?"

"What?" The soft click of her bedside lamp flicking on sounded down the phone line, followed by the bump as she dropped the phone. There was a slight scrabbling and a lot of cursing before I heard her vice once more. "Rose? You still there?"

"Y-yes."

"Tom's missing?"

"He's not in the house, and his bag's gone, and so are his clothes and- and I don't know what to do."

"Rose, calm down! Have you called the police?"

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "Yes. They're on their way over."

Her car door slammed. "So am I."

* * *

><p>"Do you think I should call Adrian?"<p>

Mia snorted and pulled my head back down to rest on her shoulder as we sat huddled together on the sofa as police officers bustled around my tiny flat. Sophia was asleep in my arms, after having woken up from all the noise, and Katrina and Alyssa were curled up at the opposite end of the sofa, their eyes wide as saucers as they watched the police work. "No."

"But it's his son who's missing, he deserves to kn-"

"He deserves jack shit from you, Rose, and you both know it! He lost all rights to knowing about what happened in any of your lives when he did whatever he did to you all of those years ago, Rose. You still haven't told me what went down between you two, but if you're going to call someone, it should be Dimitri."

I stiffened and then collapsed as a few more tears trickled down my cheeks. "He wouldn't want to talk to me."

"You don't know that."

"I was a real bitch to him, Mia. I don't think he even wants to hear from me. And I haven't apologised to him, or done anything to make amends." I sniffled again. "He hates me because I'm such a coward."

"He does _not_ hate you. What was it he said to you before he left? '_I'll be waiting for you'_."

I closed my eyes as Mia's voice drummed in my ears. I'd heard those words continually, whenever my mind had the chance to drift and daydream. My subconscious had refused to let me forget, assaulting my brain with the image of Dimitri's saddened face, and his haunting words from the night he'd left. Every free minute of my time was taken up and consumed with thoughts and wonderings about him. What he was doing, where he was, who he was with. Had he moved on? Was he thinking about me? Did he even care about me anymore?

"That was a month ago, Mia. A month with no contact whatsoever."

"He loves you, honey. The devotion and care I've seen in his eyes when he sees you doesn't go away easily, no matter how big the hurt. Now call him, or I will."

* * *

><p>"Hello?" Dimitri's sleepy voice sounded down the phone, and despite the severity of the situation, my mind revelled in hearing the rich, deep tone of his voice.<p>

"Dimitri?"

My voice is little more than a whisper, but his is sharp and alert, as though he's been awake for hours when he responds.

"Rose? What's wrong?" There's a slight pause and then he continues. "It's two thirty in the morning. Has something happened? Are the kids okay?"

That causes my throat to close up once again. I can't say anything; do anything, except to clutch at the phone and this connection as though my life depended on it.

"Rose? Roza?" Dimitri's voice is calm, soothing, as he tries to get a response. "Talk to me Roza."

"Tom." It's only one word, but it's all I can manage.

"Is he hurt? Where are you?"

"He- he's not here, Dimitri. I don't know where he's gone. He's scared of thunderstorms. And it's raining outside and it's dark, and he's all alone, and I don't know what to do."

All my fears and worries spill from my mouth as Dimitri listens patiently.

Once I'm done, and my sniffles have quietened down he only says one thing. "I'm almost there, Roza."

* * *

><p>Dimitri bursts into the front room, his duster on top of his pyjamas as he takes one glance around, spies me huddled up on the sofa and steps over, pulling me up and into his arms as he hugs me tightly.<p>

My face is crushed to his chest, his warm yet crisp scent surrounding me in a comforting blanket as his nose nuzzles my hair.

I'm home.

In Dimitri's arms, all of my fears and worries are lifted, just for a minute, and my body curves around his, wanting to be as close to his warmth and protection for as long as possible.

Yet, all too soon, Dimitri kisses the top of my head and pulls back. "Get some shoes on and we'll go look for him."

I nod and turn to Mia, but she's already in action. "Go. You'll probably be more successful than these clowns anyway. I'll keep an eye on things here, and ring you straight away if they find him. Ring me if you find him first."

I nod once again as I slide my feet into my slippers, and then Dimitri's large hand has enveloped my smaller one as he pulls me out the door and towards his car.

* * *

><p>Rain hammers down onto the windshield of the car as we drive down road after road, our eyes trying to scan through the blur of shapes for Tom's small figure. We're silent; both lost and consumed with our own separate thoughts as Dimitri manoeuvres his car down narrow back streets, and wide main roads.<p>

And despite the fact that we're quiet because we're worried, there's also an underlying sense of tension and unease between us that makes my heart hurt. We haven't spoken to each other, seen each other, in a month. The once comfortable silence is now tangible and strained, wrapping around me and tightening around my throat until I find it hard to breathe.

"Where would he be likely to go, Roza?" Dimitri's low voice makes me jump, the noise sudden and unexpected.

"I don't know. I don't even know why he'd leave in the first place." I hiccup and rake my hands through my hair, unable to think straight.

"Try, Roza. Is there anything Tom's said, or done in the past few days that's been out of the ordinary?"

"N- no. I mean, school's been fine, and he's not been in any trouble at home either."

"Is there anywhere he's wanted to go? To do?"

"N-" The word dies on my tongue as a fresh thought hits me. "He's… been asking for you a lot. He wanted you to come over and p- play Hot Wheels."

Dimitri's eyes flash with some unidentifiable emotion, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he checks his rear view mirror, and seeing that the road's empty in both directions, slows the car and does a sharp U-turn.

"Where are we going?"

"To my flat." Dimitri's voice is grim, as he speeds up slightly, indicating right to slip down one of the back streets that'll get us to his house faster.

"You think he'd have gone to your house?"

"Maybe." Dimitri seems to re-think his suggestion. "Actually, probably not. I'm not sure that he even knows where I live. But it's better than driving around aimlessly."

I nod and sniffle once again, drawing my knees up to my chest as I resume staring out of the window and praying that we find my baby boy sooner rather than later.

* * *

><p>Tom's not at Dimitri's flat, or walking along any of the roads leading to it.<p>

A fresh batch of tears leak down my cheeks as Mia calls to let me know that the police haven't had any luck yet, and that they're sending out another search car.

The lightning's eased off, but the thunder's grown louder as time passes by, and so has the intensity of the rain.

I hate myself for acting so helplessly, for crying uselessly in Dimitri's car as we drive around, but I can't stop myself.

I'm petrified that something terrible has happened to Tom, and full of self-loathing because I'm not there to protect him.

'Right now, we should be curled up together at home, whispering ghost stories to each other as Tom tries to ignore the storm and fall asleep again so that he's not tired when he goes to school the next day. I'm his mummy, the one person he can count on to be there for him when he gets frightened, and I'm not there when he needs me most. He's probably lost, and he'll be scared and frightened and I'm not there to hold him and let him know that it's all going to be okay.'

I'm not aware that I've been burbling my thoughts out loud until Dimitri's warm palm covers mine.

"Roza, you're doing the best you can. We'll find him."

His eyes are warm, soft, as he stares at me for a moment longer and squeezes y hand before he returns his attention to the road.

I nod, and his hand squeezes mine once again.

And I can't help but take note of the fact that he doesn't let go.

* * *

><p><em>My heart beats for you, Roza. I love you, even if you don't believe it, and I hate the fact that I had to raise my hand against you earlier tonight. When you decide to stop lying to yourself, and to me, I'll be waiting for you.<em>

"Did you mean what you said?"

My voice is little more than a whisper, but in the silent car Dimitri hears me perfectly.

His body doesn't tense up, his head doesn't move, he gives no sign that he's heard me.

But he doesn't ask me to clarify the topic my mind has moved onto in an attempt to prevent my subconscious from conjuring up images of Tom's body, lying still and broken in a ditch somewhere.

He answers as his eyes continue to scan along the dark roadside. "Yes."

Even though my heart lifts at his response, it still lays heavy in my chest. My question was in the past tense, and like I said to Mia, he could have changed his mind by now.

"Do you still mean it?"

Dimitri's dark eyes flick over to my small form, curled up in the passenger seat, and my stomach tightens, frightened to hear his answer.

The silence drags as his lips tighten, and I squeeze my eyes shut, tears threatening to leak from between my closed lids as I wait for his rejection. It's inevitable really, that after everything I've said and done to him, that after all of the times I've pushed him away and second-guessed his actions, he's finally given up. Or moved on.

The silence still holds, and I'm desperate to remove the tension that I've caused. "I'm sorry. After everything I put you through, I have no right to expect you to still feel the same w"-

"Yes."

"You do?" I make no effort to hide my surprise and Dimitri's lips pull up into a crooked smile.

"Despite everything, yes, I do."

A tiny smile pulls at the corner of my lips too. "You were right, with everything you said. And…" I pause and take a deep breath. "And I'm sorry for everything I said. And did."

_It'll take more than an apology._ The words, though unspoken, are clear for us both to hear. And though Dimitri doesn't respond to me verbally, his free hand lifts and strokes along my cheek, ever so gently, before he takes hold of my free hand once again, and interlinks our fingers.

* * *

><p>"Roza, we should head back to your flat."<p>

Dimitri's voice is soft, cushioning the blow that comes with his words.

"No." I shake my head adamantly. "We keep looking until we find him, or the police do. I'm not giving up."

"Roz-"

"_Don't_. Don't talk to me like that Dimitri. I don't need your pity right now. My son is out there, somewhere, and I won't give up until I know that he's safe and sound. If you want to go then say the word and I'll get out. I'll walk all night if I have to, but I'm _not_ giving up."

"It's been over an hour, Roza. We do one more sweep of the streets, and then we head back to your flat-" Dimitri holds up a hand to stop my interruption. "…to see if the police have come up with any new ideas on how to find him. And then we'll search again."

Dimitri yawns widely and scrubs at his eyes tiredly, and I realise how much he's putting himself through.

"You can go home, Dimitri. I forgot that you've got work in the morning. Well, later on this morning. We can go back to the flat now, and I'll go around in one of the police cars."

But Dimitri's shaking his head before I've even finished speaking. "I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Not until I know he's safe. I just need a cup of coffee and I'll be fine."

We're passing by the school that Tom goes to, and then a few minutes later we drive past the local park.

I sigh and rest my head against the window pane, my eyes scanning the small expanse of grassland, just in time to see a small shape huddled by one of the bushes.

There's a small flash of thunder, and the sky lights up for a second, just long enough for me to see the small patch of red, and my stomach flips.

"Dimitri! There!"

The wheel jerks as Dimitri jumps at my excited shout, and his head swivels in my direction, his eyes narrowing as he tries to peer in the direction I'm pointing in.

"Did you see something?"

"It's him. Pull the car over!" I'm already yanking at my seatbelt as the car slows and pulls up to the curb. Before we've even stopped moving, I've flung the door open and jumped out into the pouring rain, the soles of my slippers slapping against the pavement as I run back, towards the spot that I'm sure I saw Tom's schoolbag.

And sure enough, it's him.

He's curled up; his tiny frame huddled into a tiny ball as his shoulders shake. He's shivering, his clothes soaked all the way through and his hair plastered to his head, despite the fact that he's hidden as far as possible under the bush.

"Tom?" My voice cracks as I reach him and bend down, my hand stretching out to stroke some of the wet strands of hair from his face.

He whimpers, and a broken sob leaves his lips as another rumble of thunder sounds in the air.

Automatically, I reach forwards and pull him into my arms, cradling him like a baby as I hum and try to soothe him, to take his mind off of the fact that he's cold and wet and frightened.

"I'm here, baby. It's okay." I kiss his forehead and stand as Dimitri runs up to us, and open umbrella in his hands. Draped over his shoulder is a large fleece blanket, and as he shelters me and Tom from the pelting rain, I wrap Tom up tightly and cradle him to my chest.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm now on facebook. If you haven't done it already, go add Nicia Fanfiction to your friends for updates, teasers and a place to ask questions etc!<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen.**

**D – hope you enjoy it, and I will do!**

**DXR – Awwww thank you! It definitely will, but don't worry, they'll get there :) And thanks for letting me know which summary you thought I should use!**

**Valdeh – No PM's allowed :( Thanks for letting me know which summary I should use! I hope you'll enjoy the way things turn out! :) **

**Panky95 – awww, no probs sweetie! Aha, she puts up with it cos she's just as bad as he is! Lol, you'll see in this chapter whether they are or not…**

**Karla – I hope you'll enjoy it! Ad thank you :')**

**CarlisleCullenfanatic – No PM's allowed! :'( Thanks for adding this story to your faves & alerts lists & me to your fave author list. To be honest, I'd never considered a Tom POV. Maybe someday, if I can think of a good enough one! **

**XxDDxX – I could never do that! :) I'm really glad you enjoyed it! **

**Yanis – here you go sweetie! The explanation to Tom's disappearance is in here too!**

**Francisca – lol, trust me, she wasn't far off!  
><strong>

**If you haven't already done so, go add 'Nicia Fanfiction' on facebook!**

**Lately, quite a few authors on this site have had their work plagiarised. It's sad to see that it's occurring more and more frequently, and that when asked to stop, the plagiariser has refused. If you read any work that's been copied from another author, either on this site or another, please let the original author know so they can take action!**

**Hmmmm. A lot of people assuming that RxD are back together, just because he came over to help out…**

* * *

><p>Tom sniffles and sobs in my arms as we drive back home.<p>

He's soaked through, and not just from the rain. In the closed confines of the car, it's easy to smell that he's wet himself from fright, but I don't make mention it, and neither does Dimitri, for which I'm grateful. The last thing that Tom needs is to be humiliated or embarrassed.

His hands cling to the collar of my top; his arms wrapped tightly around my neck as he buries his face into the crook of my neck and cries his heart out. I struggle to pull off his soaked pyjamas and pull the spare top Dimitri keeps in his car over his neck and arms as he fusses and tries to grip at me even tighter, his tiny legs moving up to wrap around my waist. But eventually, I get it done, and once he realises that I'm not trying to pry him away, he relaxes and cries softly, before those cries degenerate into hiccups as exhaustion takes over.

Dimitri called Mia as soon as we were all back in the car, and she in turn let the police officers know. No doubt, they're going to want to have a stern word with Tom, but that can wait. For now, the priority is to get him calmed down, and back home where he belongs.

"You're safe, Tom. You're okay. I love you, and I won't ever let anything like this happen again."

He nods into my shoulder as I kiss his forehead repeatedly.

* * *

><p>As expected, there's a lot of fuss and noise when we get back.<p>

Alyssa and Katrina want to see Tom and makes sure that he's okay with their own eyes, but Mia convinces them to at least let me get him bathed and changed before they do.

I run him a hot bath, with plenty of bubbles, and once again, it's a struggle to get him to undress without crying and becoming hysterical. In the end, I have to agree to get in the bath too, and so we sit there and soak for a good twenty minutes, until the water starts to cool, letting us know that it's time to get out.

We both emerge from the bathroom, squeaky clean and dressed in fresh clothes, to the anxious faces of our family.

After a few protests and a little bit of coaxing, I'm able to hand Tom over to sit in the middle of the sofa between his sisters as I step into the kitchen to speak with the police officer who's stayed behind. He's stern, but relieved that we found him, and I promise to ring the station if I have any problems. It briefly crosses my mind to ask him if it's too late for me to report Adrian, but now's not the time. We've had more than enough drama for one night.

Mia's the next to go, kissing Tom on the forehead and hugging me before she heads back to her house to sleep before she has to go to work the next day. "Let me know if you need anything."

I nod gratefully and hug her back. "Thank you for coming over."

She smiles, and then she's gone.

I peek into the front room and smile as my heart aches. Dimitri's sat in the middle of the sofa, Katrina and Alyssa squished up against him on either side while Tom sits curled up on his lap. They're all huddled together and talking quietly, but from my position I can't hear what they're saying. Instead of moving closer, I stay in the doorway and watch the scene unfold.

Alyssa wraps her arms around Dimitri's waist, while Katrina snuggles into his side even more. He smiles down at the both of them and murmurs something before he leans down and kisses them both on the forehead, one at a time.

Tom shifts with Dimitri's movement and buries his face in Dimitri's top, his small hands twisting into the material of Dimitri's t-shirt as Dimitri glances down in concern and wraps his arms around Tom once more.

They look like a family.

Like a father comforting his children, easing their fears while the storm rages outside.

I can't help but sigh sadly as longing wells up in my throat, and step into the room. They all look up at the sound of my footsteps, and understanding fills Dimitri's features.

"Alyssa, Katrina, bed time. You have school tomorrow, and I need to speak to Tom."

They pout, but stand up, taking their turns to hug and kiss Dimitri and Tom before they head towards the bedroom, their feet dragging tiredly.

Tom whimpers and clutches at Dimitri tighter, so I don't try to split them apart. Instead, I sit next to Dimitri and motion for him to turn Tom to face me.

He does, but Tom hides his face from me. "Tom." He doesn't respond, and so I gently tilt his face up with my fingertips. His eyes are squeezed shut as his bottom lip quivers, waiting for me to tell him off. "Tom, look at me." My voice is soft, and he opens one eye cautiously. "I'm not angry."

Both of his eyes open and fill with tears, and I reach forwards to pull him out of Dimitri's arms. He comes willingly and I wipe away the few tears that fall with my thumb. "But I am sad. Why did you run away?"

"I didn't run away." His voice is tiny, and I have to strain to hear him properly.

"Leaving in the middle of the night with your things counts as running away, Tom." My voice is soft, but chastising, and he nods forlornly. "Why did you go?"

He fidgets and drops my gaze, his fingers worrying the hem of his pyjama top. "I- I didn't mean to make you sad, mummy."

"Then why did you leave? Where were you trying to go?"

His fingers halt, and he looks up at me worriedly. "Promise you won't be mad at me?"

I nod. "I promise."

He bites his lip, but then resolve fills his features and he mumbles. "I went to find dad."

Dimitri stiffens beside me and shock fills my face.

"You- you tried to find Dimitri? In the rain?"

"I wanted him to come home and I thought the rain was going to stop soon. But you said that he was really angry, so I took my stuff so I could stay with dad at his home until he can come back to our home. Mr. Bear came with me to help me find the way." With those words, he clutches at his teddy bear. "But we got lost. And then the thunder and lightning started and I got scared and tried to hide until the rain stopped. But it didn't, it kept raining and the thunder kept getting louder and louder. And then I tried to get home, but I couldn't find anywhere, and then I saw the park and waited there because I knew you'd look for me there."

"Tom-" I hesitated, unsure about how to respond to his little revelation. "You should have told me that you wanted to see Dimitri so badly. I would have taken you to see him. What you did was extremely dangerous."

"I know." His little voice was so tiny and vulnerable, that in that moment I couldn't even consider chastising him further. "Bed time, honey. You've certainly had an adventure tonight."

But at my words he shrunk back and scrambled out of my hold onto Dimitri's lap. Tears were already streaming down his pale cheeks as he fisted his hands in the front of Dimitri's top. "Don't make dad go again. I want him to stay with me. Please." His voice broke and Dimitri rubbed his back soothingly.

"I have to go home, Tom. I've got work tomorrow and you need to get some sleep."

"This is your home. You used to stay here and go to work, so do it tonight too. Please, dad. You can share my bed."

Dimitri's face twisted and he swallowed heavily. "Your bed's too small for me to sleep in, Tom. I'll come around tomorrow evening, I pro-"

"No!" Tom sobbed harder and buried his face in Dimitri's top. "Stay, dad. I want you to stay here."

"Tom, I can't."

"Please. Please, dad." Tom's body shook with the strength of his sobs as he held onto Dimitri as if his life depended on it. "Please."

"You can sleep on the sofa bed, Dimitri. I'll use my sleeping bag." My voice was soft, but desperate as I listened to Tom beg and plead with Dimitri. It physically hurt me to see him in so much pain.

Tom nodded, but Dimitri shook his head. "I'm not going to force you out of your bed, Roza."

I shook my head and smiled sadly. "If it'll make Tom happy and help him feel safe after what happened, then where I sleep doesn't matter."

Recognition flashed in Dimitri's eyes, and recognition showed in his features as he nodded and held Tom more securely. "Okay. Tom, calm down, I'll stay."

* * *

><p>Tom refused to let go of Dimitri, even when he was in his bed, his sobs turning to hysterics every time Dimitri tried to pry his tiny fingers away from his top.<p>

Eventually, his body gave way to the exhaustion that was weighing him down, and he fell asleep. Once we were sure that he wouldn't wake up, Dimitri gently released his top from Tom's hold and stood up, tucking the covers more securely around his small body.

He pressed a gentle kiss to Tom's forehead and smiled down at him fondly before he straightened completely and faced me.

"I'll come over before I go to work, so that Tom thinks I stayed the night."

_Now's your chance Rose! Grab it! Grab him before it's too late!_

"I… you- you don't have to go."

_Lame_. I cringed at my awful words.

One of Dimitri's eyebrows rose slightly. "I think it's better if I didn't. Tom's bed really is too small."

"I mean, you could sleep on the sofa bed. It's no trouble. Really. And it would save you the time it takes to travel."

Dimitri chuckled and stepped closer to me, one of his large hands reaching out to tuck some of my hair behind my ear as he leant down. My breath caught and then hitched as his lips drew closer and closer to my face.

"Not this time, Roza. I think it would be best if I didn't stay the night. I'll be over by the time Tom wakes up." He leant forwards and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I'm sorry."

He took one last look at the room before he picked up his duster and left.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I'm interested. What's been your favourite chapterscene/quote in this story so far?**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty.**

**Christine Dear - Awww thank you. And thanks for adding this story to your alerts list :)**

**DXR – Thank you :) You're absolutely right, but I think that Dimitri needs some time to sort his head and figure out how he feels, without being eaten up with guilt over the kids. :( Aha, thanks for letting me know your faves scenes, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much! xx**

**XxDDxX – Lol, thank you! :D Thank you so much. I hope that this chpter is just as good as the previous ones! xx**

**Lexa - It's so horrible, but sad. :( But thank you! :) xx **

**Panky95 – Lol, they will make up! I promise. In fact, it's a lot sooner than you think! :D Awwww, I'm glad you liked the hotel scene! :) **

**angela masson – thank you, and I hope you like it!**

**clair95 - no probs sweetie! :) I'm just glad that you're still enjoying the story :) And I hope your holidays went well! xx**

**Huge thanks to my fabulous beta, the very talented Sarah Ozera. :) xx**

**Thanks to rivereq for the brilliant idea! I couldn't use it completely, but I hope you like the way I incorporated it. :)**

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><p>"<em>Dimitri- wait!" I ran after his retreating figure, out into the pouring rain. "Wait!"<em>

_He stopped at the gate and turned around, confusion etched into his features. "Roza?"_

_My voice was a breathless pant when I caught up to him. "Don't go. Please. Hate me, be as angry as you want, but don't leave."_

"_Roza, I- I can't stay. Things between us-"_

"_I know. I screwed up! But I'm sorry. God, you don't know how much I wish I could take back what happened. But- I love you, Dimitri."_

"_I- Roza, I- I-"_

"_Please."_

_A battle waged in Dimitri's eyes as he faltered and took a hesitant step forwards._

"_I love you, Dimitri. So much."_

_And then my lips were on his in the sweetest of kisses as his hands wrapped around my waist ever so gently._

"_I love you too, Roza."_

That was how the fantasy played out in my mind as Dimitri left. And again as I walked to the sofa and curled up around the cushion Dimitri had been leaning against. And again as I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Dimitri turns up the next day before Tom wakes up. He's there with a smile, and the latest Hot Wheels car as well as a hug and a kiss for all of the kids, especially Sophia who's ecstatic to see him again.<p>

The five of them spend the hour or so that Dimitri's there, bustling around and catching up on 'important things' before Dimitri has to leave to go to work. Their faces fall, and Tom even asks if Dimitri can have the day off, like he is, but in the harsh morning light, his tears and puppy dog eyes won't work.

The goodbye between us is… awkward, to put it lightly. We don't quite catch each other's eye as we mumble, and then, before I can work up the courage to apologise once again, he's kissed me on the forehead, shouted bye to the kids, and left.

* * *

><p>A week goes by with no word from Dimitri.<p>

Then two.

On the third week, I give up waiting and decide to take things into my own hands.

Dimitri's put up with so much, and done so much, it's time for me to do the chasing and prove to him that I really do want to be with him.

It's time for me to put my money where my mouth is.

* * *

><p>I swallowed nervously as I wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt and steeped forwards, gently tugging Sophia along with me.<p>

The sound of kids' laughter and shouts filled my ears as children ran around the playground, either to talk to their friends, meet their parents, or to play on the playground equipment.

But I wasn't here to collect Tom. Mia was doing that for me. No, today, I was here to find Dimitri and apologise. I'd caught the bus all the way across the city to face my fear.

I took a deep breath and another step, craning my neck to search for the familiar height and stance of my ex-boyfriend.

It had been almost two months since I'd kicked him out, and just under a month since the night Tom had gone missing. The new school year had started during that time, and with it Alyssa and Katrina had moved up to secondary school. All four of the kids were still in that excited stage, the phase where they adjust to their new environments and teachers and make new friends.

Sophia let go of my hand to toddle around the parents blocking my way, eager to discover and explore. She'd missed Dimitri the most out of all of the kids, asking after him every evening and night since I'd made him leave. She wanted her dad back, and I hated that I'd taken him away from her. I hated that I'd forced him away from all of us. The house was constantly cloaked in sadness, the kids casting mournful glances every so often at the empty space at the dinner table, or at the peg in the coat cupboard where Dimitri used to hang his duster.

And I missed him. My heart ached every night when I had to curl up, alone, in the sofa bed we'd bought together, and tears pricked at my eyes when I woke in the morning to find that he wasn't there.

If only my yelling session had been a nightmare, just like the one that caused him to have to slap me in the first place.

But it hadn't, and so, I needed to put things right.

My eyes continued to scan over faces and bodies, as I walked and caught up to Sophia, who was staring up at the weathervane on top of the school's roof.

"Why is there a chicken on top of the roof?"

I laughed and lifted her up into my arms. "It's made of metal, sweetie. It shows which way the wind is blowing."

"Oh." Her little eyes filled with understanding as she nodded, and then brightened up. "Can I have one?"

"Maybe… if you put it on your Christmas list and are a good girl. Father Christmas might bring you one." She grinned and then wriggled for me to set her down on the floor so she could continue to look around. "Don't go too far, Sophia. I don't want you to get lost."

"Yes, mummy."

Her eyes caught sight of the hopscotch and she grinned again as she ran towards it.

I smiled happily, and then continued my search.

There, right in the middle of the playground, was my ex-boyfriend.

He had his back to me, but his duster and height made him easily recognisable. I started forwards eagerly, but he turned slightly, and I caught sight of someone else standing with him.

She was slightly shorter than I was, with long, raven black hair that was held off of her face with an ice blue hairband that matched the colour of her eyes. She had a nice, slim figure, one that was more athletic than curvy, and when Dimitri spoke, a cute smile popped up on her cheeks, accentuating her dimples.

A frown worked its way onto my face as I watched their exchange, and a sharp pang of jealousy reared up in me when she took a step closer to Dimitri and rested her hand on his arm lightly, before she laughed at something he said. A light chuckle left Dimitri's mouth as he smiled down at her in response to whatever she said, and my heart dropped.

He'd moved on.

She was beautiful, and looked like she was a good few years younger than I was. Her face hadn't been aged with wrinkles or stress from everyday life, and she carried an air of light heartedness around with her.

She was small and dainty, the perfect complement to his tall, rugged stature.

I was ready to admit defeat, until Sophia toddled out from the parents stood to my left, and caught sight of Dimitri. Her eyes lit up as she paused in shock, smiled and started to run towards him, with her little chubby arms outstretched.

This was not the way that I'd planned to get Dimitri back, and even though her interruption would have given me the chance to apologise, I couldn't do it.

I couldn't take away his chance to meet someone who didn't have the type of issues that I did. I wasn't selfish enough to make him feel obliged to become a part of my family's life again, and to give up the chance to have his own children, with someone who could appreciate him properly, and show him the love that he deserved.

So with a heavy heart, I caught Sophia up in my arms before she drew close enough to catch Dimitri's attention.

She struggled in my grip for a moment, before slumping. "Daddy." Her voice was a quiet, pitiful wail as her eyes brimmed with tears. "Daddy."

"I know, honey. But we need to go. Dad- Dimitri's busy."

"No mummy. I want my daddy." She pointed in his direction as her lower lip trembled and fresh tears sparkled in her eyes.

"Soph-" My voice cut off as I heard Dimitri speak. When moving to intercept Sophia, I'd unknowingly moved closer to Dimitri, and could now hear his conversation.

"…Tasha," He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. "I know where you're coming from, but it just wouldn't be practical."

She - Tasha – pouted and tossed her hair back as she stared up at him. "Dimitri, I'm only here for the next two months, and then I'm going to apply for the teaching job over at St. John's. I've got my Qualified Teacher Status, and I've done my year in a school. I don't want to stay here at Overdale, and there's no reason why we can't give things a go once I leave. I'm of Russian descent. I know your culture and your background almost as well as you do. There's no reason for you to say that it's impractical or that we're 'incompatible'."

He sighed again. "Tash, you're my friend. And you're an excellent teacher. The kids you teach love you, and I don't doubt that they'll love you at St. John's. But it wouldn't be professional for us to be involved with each other. And since I'm the one who has to write your reference…"

"They'd never know that you were my _partner_ too." Her voice was desperate, and I felt a flash of sympathy for her. Dimitri was trying to let her down gently, but she just wasn't getting it.

"Natasha." His voice was sharp, firm. "Regardless of how you feel about your professional life, I am _not_ going to put my career in jeopardy for a fling. I'm not interested." His face softened as hurt flashed across hers. "Tasha, I don't see you in that way. My feelings haven't changed in the two months since you last asked me."

Tasha paused for a moment, her face deep in thought, but when she responded her voice was equally as soft. "It's her, isn't it?" When he didn't respond she pushed further. "The one who you'd moved in with?"

"I- yes. I- I- I still love her, Tasha. I'm still waiting for her."

"You're going to be waiting forever. It's been two months Dimitri. If she hasn't changed her mind by now, I doubt she will any time soon."

He shook his head stubbornly. "I believe in her. She knows that I'm willing to wait for as long as she needs to be ready to come back. I _have_ to believe that she'll come back to me, Tasha. It's the only thing that keeps me going through the day. I'll wait for her, and even though I could technically date someone else, I don't want to, because when she comes back, I don't want to have to spend a minute longer than necessary away from her because I'm in a relationship with someone else."

"I'm sure that if you explained it like that, the other person wouldn't mind. At least you wouldn't be alone, Dimka."

"I'm not alone."

Pity flashed across her face this time. "Yes, you are. All you do is work. If you're not teaching, you're marking work. If you're not marking, you're covering another teacher's class. And if you can't do that, then you're training. You're occupying your time with work so that you don't feel lonely, and so that you don't have to focus on the hurt. I don't know why you two broke up, but you need to let yourself grieve, and to get over what you lost. Because, if you don't, then things won't work if she does come back."

"She will come back. And I don't need to _grieve_."

"You do too, Dimitri Belikov. You'd moved in together, so to break up and move out is a significant step down. You're hurting, but you're not acknowledging it. And if you continue to harbour that hurt, it'll only develop into resentment and anger as time goes by. It'll build and build, and then, when you burst, you might just say or do something that'll ruin what you guys had - forever." She stretched up onto her tiptoes and cupped his cheek. "Do something about it, before it's too late."

Their eyes held for a minute, before he nodded stiffly and she smiled gently.

"Have a good weekend."

"You too, Dimitri." She smiled and turned to walk away.

"And- Tasha?" Dimitri's voice was hesitant as she stopped and turned back to him. "Thanks… for the advice."

"No problem. See you on Monday, boss." Her smile was cheeky and mischievous as she saluted him and continued walking back towards the school building.

As I straightened up Dimitri sighed heavily and turned around. And froze.

We both stared at each other as several different emotions played across Dimitri's features. _Shock. Longing. Worry. Disbelief. Hope._

"So… hey." My voice was nervous and unsure as I broke the silence.

Dimitri's face turned impassive as he stared at me, waiting for me to say what I wanted. "Rose." His voice was cordial, but uninterested as his gaze swept over the sea of parents and children in the schoolyard, ensuring that nothing bad was happening. "I'm working, so I can't really talk right now."

"I'll only take a minute. Please?" His eyes flickered across to meet mine, and after a second, he nodded.

"First off. Sophia's practically dying to say hi."

His eyes immediately snapped down to Sophia who was wriggling desperately in my arms as she strained to reach Dimitri now that I'd started talking to him.

"Dad!" Without hesitation, he stepped forwards, his arms reaching out to hold her instinctively. I passed her across, laughing as she kicked her legs as I held her up in mid-air, before she was cradled tenderly in Dimitri's arms, a contented smile on her lips as she buried her face into the crook of Dimitri's neck.

"Hey, baby girl." Dimitri's smile was happy and carefree as he gazed down at her and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her unruly hair. Then he looked back at me. "What was the second thing?"

I swallowed heavily. "I- The second thing, was that I wanted to apologise and grovel and beg for your forgiveness. I know that I apologised when we were looking for Tom, but it wasn't enough, and it wasn't the right time."

I paused, and he nodded for me to continue. "I- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything that I said and did, and for everything that I've put you through, both on the night that I- that I-" The words were hard to say and I had to swallow past the lump in my throat. "That I kicked you out. What I said to you was mean, and cruel. I should never have compared you to Adrian, or even thought about you like that, because you're nothing at all like him. You proved that to me time and again, yet I still overreacted and pushed you away. I shouldn't have. I should have heard you out, and listened to your side of the story before I acted. You-" The lump built up in my throat again. "You were, and still are, the best thing that's ever happened to me. You came into my life when I was at my lowest, and you helped bring light into it again. You showed up on my doorstep when I needed someone, and offered me the help and support that no one else could offer. You've given my children a daddy, not a father, and you've completed our family. And I ruined it. I'm- I'm sorry, Dimitri."

My breath hitched as I swiped at my eyes, and Dimitri hesitantly stepped forwards.

"It hurt. When- when you kicked me out. But I still care for you, Rose. I can't get you out of my mind."

"I'm sorry." More tears fogged my vision, and Dimitri gently wiped them away.

"Don't cry. Please, Roza. Don't cry."

I pressed my lips together and swallowed thickly, but when I spoke, my voice was a whisper. "I miss you. I miss us, and sleeping by your side. I miss waking up to your face every morning. I miss cooking you dinner when you've got tons of marking to do, and falling asleep with your arms wrapped around me, and laughing at the sill adverts on the television, and even washing your underwear. I just miss you so much."

"What else do you miss?"

"I miss your smell, the sharp scent that's you, mixed in with your aftershave. I miss the way that you sing along to Bob the Builder and The Tweenies with Tom and Sophia. I miss running my hands through your hair, and the small, tender smiles that you always had when you looked at me. I miss seeing you with the kids each day, treating them as if they were your own. I miss being with you, and making love with you, and just cuddling with you when we're both tired."

"I miss all of that too." Dimitri glanced away from me for a moment, his lips pursed together as he looked at his watch quickly.

When his eyes flickered up to meet mine, a flush ran through me. His deep, chocolate brown eyes had darkened with lust, the look filled with hunger and longing and want.

His hand shot out suddenly, and my hands fumbled as I caught the small shiny silver key, my breath catching in my throat with his next words.

"Go to my flat, put Sophia down for a nap, and then get ready. I won't take longer than thirty minutes."

"I can't."

Confusion and hurt flashed in his deep brown eyes, and I rushed to explain. "It's not because I don't want to, Dimitri. But I really can't. Mia's looking after the kids, and she's got to get to work, so I have to get back to the flat."

"Oh." He nodded understandingly, and some of the fire left his eyes.

"But… maybe you could come over later? And we could… talk?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One.**

**XxDDxX – I have my innocent face on right now. Of course they're going to "talk." Get your mind out of the gutter missy! ;)**

**Yanis – I hope this answers all of your questions.**

**Angela masson – thank you! :):):) I'm really glad that you enjoyed it and hope that you'll enjoy this one too!**

**DXR – I'm really glad that you enjoyed it. Yeah, I think I like writing the kids parts the most, because they're so innocent and sweet :D **

**Clair95 – I'm glad you liked it!**

**Panky95 – LOL! :D**

**Demi – they will do!**

**Christine Dear – please change your settings so I can reply to your reviews! Thank you so much for reviewing, and I'm so happy that you're enjoying this story so much! :') **

**Francisca – don't worry, everything's going to run smoothly… for now. *Cue evil laughter* **

**When I get the beta'ed version back I'll replace this one.**

**Just a quick note:** Rose was the one who said "But… maybe you could come over later? And we could… talk?"

**Now, enjoy! :)**

* * *

><p>I sighed for the hundredth time as I stared at the flashing light on the DVD player. <em>Ten<em> _thirty_. Dimitri obviously wasn't going to turn up.

Every time a car drove down the street, my breath caught in my throat as I listened to see if they stopped outside the flat or not. None of them did. And with every car that drove past, my hopes shattered a little more.

I sighed again and rolled over, but trying to find a comfortable position these days was useless. I couldn't sleep properly unless I was in Dimitri's arms, and the one t-shirt of his that he hadn't taken, didn't smell like him anymore, so I couldn't wrap it around my pillow to fool my mind into thinking he was there.

_When the rain is blowing in your face,  
>And the whole world is on your case,<em>

I frowned as my phone began to ring. Who on Earth would be calling me at this time on a school night?

_I could offer you a warm embrace,  
>To make you feel my love.<em>

"Hello?"

"Roza," Dimitri's voice was a whisper. "Open the door."

"What?" I scrambled off of the sofa and practically ran to the front door. "Why? Where are y- oh."

Dimitri was stood outside my front door, his phone balanced between his shoulder and his ear as he struggled with the three huge bags he was carrying.

Once the door was open he stepped over the threshold and dumped the bags as silently as possible, before heading back out to his car, and returning with another three.

"What's all this?"

My eyes were huge as I stared at the massive duffel bag that he placed alongside the others.

"My things."

"Your- your things?"

He nodded as I shut the door, and shrugged off his jacket and shoes.

"But- but- You hate me."

He crossed the small space separating us and cupped my face in his hands. "I don't hate you, Roza."

"But- you, you…" He cut off my incoherent babble by pressing his lips to mine.

A slight moan worked its way out of my throat as his lips moulded against mine softly, the way I'd dreamt about for the past two months.

Once the kiss ended both of us were breathing raggedly. "I don't hate you," he repeated. "I love you, Roza."

"I love you too, Dimitri. And I'm so sor-"

His hot mouth on mine cut off my apology.

"No more apologies, Roza. I forgive you, and I understand why you did what you did. I'm not saying that either of us should forget, but we should move on. That's what I want to do. To move on and focus on my life with my family."

"Really?" Tears pooled in my eyes. "Even though I'm crazy, hormonal, insecure and incredibly stupid?"

"You're not crazy, or stupid. You only get hormonal when we don't have enough chocolate in the house, and you're only a tiny bit insecure. That insecurity is slowly dissolving, so no; I wouldn't say that you're insecure."

"You really want us? Even though we're probably the most dysfunctional family you'll ever come across?"

"Yes." His lips covered mine once again. "Do you want me?" There was a strange touch of vulnerability in Dimitri's voice, a hint of fright, as he waited for my response.

"Yes. I want you, all of you. I love you. I love _us_, and I love our family. I want what you want, and I want to share it all with you, forever. I want that too." My fingers trembled as I reached up and stroked his face softly before I tugged on his hair to pull his face down to mine. "I love you."

"I love you too."

And then we were on each other. My fingers were twined into his hair, as his hands pulled at my hips until my body was flush against his.

"Roza." His voice was breathless as he pulled away to stare into my eyes. "I can't- I can't wait. I don't want to wait. It's been too long without you, without your touch-"

I cut him off by wrenching his mouth back to mine as we stumbled in the direction of the front room.

My hands were already sliding up and underneath his t-shirt as I traced the outline of his stomach muscles. A low groan left Dimitri's lips as he pulled away briefly to yank his top up and over his head and help me wriggle out of mine.

"Better?"

He grinned. "Much better."

My mouth was on his again as his hands firmly grasped the waistband of my pyjama trousers and pushed them as far down as they could go. My breath caught as the cooler air of the apartment caressed my bare skin, until Dimitri's tongue caught mine once again and he lifted me up into his arms.

His erection was already strong and pressed against my body through his jeans as he moved us from the hallway and into the front room to place me down on the sofa bed gently.

"I packed up everything in my flat." His breath caught as my hands tugged and pulled impatiently at his belt. "And I called an estate agent after school, letting them know that I want to sell."

My hands stilled as his jeans hit the floor. "Wh-"

"I can't do it, Roza. I can't live without you. I can't cope. So now, we're stuck with each other. No more threats and kicking out. You're stuck with me forever." His voice was a murmur as he nuzzled my neck and kissed my jaw.

"Good."

The most beautiful smile covered Dimitri's face as he stared down into my eyes and brushed a gentle kiss over my lips.

"I love you, Roza."

"I love you too, Dimitri."

And then his boxers joined his jeans in a crumpled heap on the floor as he joined me on the bed.

If I'd thought that I was home just by being held in Dimitri's arms, I was wrong. _Now_, I was home.

Dimitri's body worked against mine smoothly, driving himself deeper with every stroke as my legs wrapped themselves tightly around his waist, my heels pushing his hips even closer to my own. We were perfectly in sync, our bodies responding to the other's as though we hadn't been apart for two months.

And with every thrust from him, with every rock of my hips, the hurt and anger between us disappeared a little more. The passion and ferocity in our movements gave way to tenderness and caresses as I traced the hard muscles of Dimitri's back and wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing his mouth down to mine as we exploded together.

* * *

><p>I woke up to the most glorious sensation.<p>

My eyes shot open, to find Dimitri's head buried between my thighs as he pulled my legs up and over his shoulders as he continued to kiss and lick and suck at the sensitive spots he knew to hit.

"Dimitri?"

He hummed softly in response and my body kicked into overdrive as his fingers slowly stroked me, sometimes entering me deeply, and at other times just teasing my entrance.

"I'm almost there."

He picked up the pace and softly sucked on my clit as I let out a low moan and gave in to the feelings threatening to overwhelm my body.

Once my breathing had returned to normal he pushed himself up the bed until out faces were level. "Morning, Roza."

"Morning." My voice was still slightly breathless as I leant in towards his body and kissed him softly.

"I have to go to work." My face fell, but he tilted my face up to press a gentle kiss to my lips. "I'll be back soon. I'll be home as soon as I can."

I smiled and twined my fingers into his hair as our bodies pressed against each other. "_Home_. I love the sound of that."

He chuckled and leant in to kiss me once more before he sighed and pulled away. "I really do have to go to work though."

"I know. That doesn't mean I have to like it." As he rummaged through his bags for some fresh clothes, I made my way over to the DVD stand to pick up the small silver object that belonged to Dimitri.

Once he stood up I wrapped my arms around him and pressed it into his hands. "This is yours."

Confusion covered his features until he looked at what I'd given him. "My key…"

I nodded. "It is. It's your key, and I shouldn't have taken it from you."

* * *

><p>"Mum! Did you just stick your <em>tongue<em> in dad's _ear_?" Alyssa's voice was as disgusted as Katrina's expression, while my face flushed and I turned to face her.

Beside me on the sofa, Dimitri chuckled and kissed my neck softly before he stood up. "I think I'll go check on Tom and Soph-"

"Oh no you don't." My hand caught his wrist as he tried to leave. "You're not leaving me here to face the wolves alone." I turned back to face the girls. "So what if I did?"

"Ewwwwww." Both of their faces scrunched up with distaste.

"That's gross."

"Disgusting."

"It's bad enough that you kiss-"

"And giggle-"

"And have tickle fights all the time-"

"But could you please at least _try_ to keep the PDA to a minimum?"

Dimitri laughed at their revolted faces once more before he kissed my shoulder and wrapped his arms around me. "Shouldn't you two be in bed?"

"Yeah…"

"I wanted a glass of water."

"And that takes two of you?" One of his eyebrows rose sceptically, and they both dropped eye contact. He chuckled. "I think they were spying on us, Roza."

"Ewwww. That's gross!"

"Disgusting!"

Both of our voices were high pitched as we mimicked their words, before bursting into laughter.

"It's not funny, mum!"

I giggled into Dimitri's shoulder as Alyssa huffed angrily. "We were only checking on you, to make sure you guys were together for real this time."

My brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well…" Alyssa fidgeted with the hem of her pyjama top and Katrina took over.

"When Tom went missing, dad stayed, but then he left again the next morning. We just wanted to make sure that wasn't gonna happen this time."

Dimitri's eyes softened as I tensed. I hadn't realised that his momentary appearance back in our lives had raised their hopes so much.

"I'm not going anywhere girls. I promise. You're all stuck with me now, til the day I die."

They both grinned.

"Okay!"

"Night!"

"And no PDA!"

I laughed as they both disappeared from view, with happy smiles on their faces.

"Now…" Dimitri pulled me back down into his arms as we settled back against the sofa cushions. "Where were we?"

I grinned as his lips gently covered mine, but broke the kiss after a few minutes. "As much as I'd like to stay here kissing you, we do need to talk, Dimitri."

He sighed, but nodded and straightened up.

_This_ was where things became tricky and uncomfortable.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"You."

"Me?"

I nodded. "I overheard some of your conversation with Tasha, and she was right. You do need to grieve, or to get your feelings off of your chest. Accepting my apology is only half of the healing process."

He scowled, but nodded. "I guess that makes sense." Then he laughed. "Who would have guessed that one day you'd be the one giving me all the grown up life lessons?"

"Hey! I have good advice; I just don't always choose to share it. You should feel privileged that I chose give you some."

"I wish you would."

"And no innuendos!"

Dimitri chuckled, but then his expression sobered up. "I- When you kicked me out, it was the worst day of my life. Even worse than coming home to find Ivan and his friend dead." The teasing atmosphere had given way to solemnity and seriousness as he stared at me. "I couldn't believe what was happening. We'd had such a good day, and then you had that nightmare, and freaked out. You didn't even give me the chance to explain, just jumped to conclusions, and then you kicked me out." He swallowed heavily and glanced away.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri."

"It's fine, Roza. It's in the past-"

"That doesn't matter, Dimitri. It is _not_ fine. I hurt you, and that's not something to be taken lightly. You need to say what you've got to say, and I need to sit here and listen."

"I don't want to talk about it, Roza. It's not exactly something I like to think about."

I placed my fingers under his chin and turned his face back to mine. "I know, and I don't want to hear it. But in this case, we both need to do what we don't want to do."

He nodded and leant forwards to kiss me softly. "Whatever I say, don't take it badly. Please?"

"I won't, I promise."

He took a shuddering breath and continued. "To be compared to Adrian, it made me feel sick to my stomach. It made me want to beat myself up, just knowing that I'd hit you, even though I had to. God, you don't know how much I hated myself in that moment and the days that followed. All I saw when I closed my eyes was you, flinching away from me in fright. I missed the kids terribly. I wanted to be there to help Alyssa and Katrina with their maths and science homework. I wanted to build a Hot Wheels track with Tom, and read Sophia a bedtime story. But more than that, I missed you. I missed the sound of your laugh, and the stern frown you got whenever you had to tell the kids to go to bed more than once. I missed the fruity scent of your hair when I held you, and the way that you'd curl into my chest before you fell asleep. I missed _you_. And it tore me apart because I thought that things between us were ruined for good."

Dimitri's face was flushed by the time he finished speaking, and my mind was spinning.

"I'm so, so sorry." My voice was a hoarse croak. "I'm so sorry for putting you through all of that, and I'll never forgive myself."

"Don't say that." Dimitri's voice was soft as he cupped my face in his hands. "What you're putting yourself through isn't fair, Roza. Don't ever hate yourself. Like I said yesterday, I understand why you did what you did, and I forgive you."

I nodded and snuggled into his chest as he pulled us both so that we were lying down. "Did you mean like this?"

He nodded and kissed the top of my head. "Yep." He inhaled deeply and kissed the crown of my head once more. "You smell like a fruit salad."

I frowned up at him. "That doesn't sound like much of a complement."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "It just doesn't. You don't go around telling people they smell like fruit salad."

"I don't. I tell _you_ that you smell like fruit salad."

"Smartass. I think you've been hanging around me too long."

* * *

><p>"Dimitri?"<p>

"Mmmm?"

"Wake up."

"Why?" His voice was a tired muffle as he buried his face in my hair and tried to fall asleep again.

"Because I need to tell you something important."

"Can't it wait til tomorrow? It's too early to talk, Roza."

"No. Wake up." His eyes opened and then drooped shut again. "Or no sex for a month."

His eyes snapped open.

"You're joking."

"Remember that little conversation we had the day after my birthday?" At his blank face I elaborated. "In Mia's car?"

Horror filled his features and I laughed.

"Fine. You win, Roza. What's so important that it couldn't wait until a decent hour?"

My cockiness faded away as I bit my lip. How would he react?

"Well, I- I went ahead with it. With the house swap. I put a notice up in the council neighbourhood centre, and someone got in touch with me. They have a five bedroom house and are looking to retire, and downsize now that their children have all 'flown the nest' so to speak. They came round a few weeks ago to see the house, and I've been over to see theirs too."

I dropped his gaze and traced small patterns on his bare chest. "Roza," One of his large hands held mine still as he tilted my face up to meet his. "Don't hide from me."

"Aren't you angry?"

"Angry? Why would I be angry?"

"Because I went ahead and did it, even though we weren't together at the time."

He chuckled and pulled me even closer to his body. "I would never be angry at you for going ahead and doing something that would better your life and that of our family. Never."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely positive. Unless you're still planning to move in there without me?"

"Never. But, I do have one more thing to ask you."

"What, Roza?"

"Will you move in with me again? This time to _our_ home, where we'll have our own separate bedroom. The way we were supposed to."

He grinned. "I'd love to."

I smiled and kissed him softly, before pulling away and resting my head on his chest.

"Roza?"

"Yes, Dimitri?"

He shifted, and then grasped my shoulders so he could pull me up until we were eye level. "Thank you."

"For asking you to move in to the big house?"

He chuckled again. "No. For proving to yourself, just how much you've matured and grown since we met just over a year ago."

"Most of that is thanks to you."

"No," He shook his head. "It's all you. All I did was turn you in the right direction. But what I was actually saying thank you for, was for having the self-respect that most other women would have tried to cover up. Yesterday, when I gave you my key, you didn't drop everything you were doing, and run back to my flat so we could get naked. You stood your ground, and went back to your kids, the way you should have. You proved to yourself that you're worth more, and that you know that you're worth more, and that you respect both of us enough to not run back to my flat so we could have hot make-up sex.""

"But… didn't we just have extremely hot make-up sex?"

He shook his head and kissed my bare shoulder. "No. We made up, and then we had I'm glad we're back together sex."

I giggled. "That's the same thing."

"No it's not."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not, Roza."

"Yes it is, comrade."

"Is not."

"Is too. Now shut up and kiss me."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two.**

**I've written a one shot for the dirtycheekymonkeys fic, Squeeze My Lemon. It's called My Russian Rampant Rabbit, and I hope that you'll check it out and leave a review. It's on my profile, and on the DCM fanfiction. Only read if you're old enough to read rated M content and lemons! Thank you to untamed00notbroken who beta'ed it for me!**

**I'm going to (hopefully) write a Halloween one-shot, and a Christmas one-shot, but I'm going to do them as out-takes for this story. So please, if you haven't already, add me to your author alerts list so you're notified when the time comes!**

**This chapter is unbeta'ed, so any mistakes are mine.**

**Angela masson – Adrian isn't in this chapter, but he is going to be making quite a few reappearances…**

**XxDDxX – You certainly did! Awww, I'm glad that you liked both the naughty parts, and the sweeter parts too :')**

**Clair95 – I'm glad the last chapter cheered you up. As for Adrian… that remains to be seen.**

**Lexa – LOL! Honestly, you guys all need to get your minds out of the gutter! What if they had actually meant to meet up and talk, rather than 'talk'. :D**

**DXR – Awww thank you! I'm glad it's now at the top of your favourites, but I think that there are a couple more chapters coming up that'll push it from the #1 spot! **

**Panky95 – Me too! :D HEA's forever!**

**Jbowencox – thank you! :')**

**If you haven't already done so, go add 'Nicia Fanfiction' to your friends on facebook for teasers, answers to questions and anything else you can think of!**

* * *

><p>It was the day of the move, and I already had a headache.<p>

The kids were practically bouncing off of the walls with excitement as Dimitri and two of the neighbours carried our furniture and boxes of junk to the large van we'd hired to transport all of our 'worldly possessions' in.

Large, rough hands covered my shoulders and rubbed soothing circles into my tense back muscles as a pair of soft lips pressed a gentle kiss to the nape of my neck.

"Relax." I sighed as my head fell backwards to rest against Dimitri's chest and his hands dipped lower to rub the base of my spine. "Does that feel better?"

"Much better." I sighed again as his hands lifted to my hair, to massage my temples softly. "This move is stressing me out. I'm almost at the point where I want to just cancel everything and stay here."

"I know what you mean. But it'll be worth it in the end, Roza."

"It's costing so much. Do you think we've overspent? I mean, the new carpets, furniture, beds, decorating materials… maybe it's too much. You shouldn't be spending all the money from your flat on this move."

He rolled his eyes. "Roza, the people who are renting my flat aren't going to suddenly turn around and demand their money back. Relax." He chuckled and pecked the shell of my ear. "And in answer to your first question, not at all. Like I said, it'll be worth it. And a lot of what we're doing has been way overdue. We're just doing it in a different place to the one we originally anticipated."

"I know." I tilted my face backwards and pressed my lips to his lightly. Slowly, Dimitri turned me in his arms and kissed me again, this time deeply as his arms wrapped round my waist.

"Roza, we should stop."

His voice was a mumble against my lips as I twined my fingers into his hair and kissed him harder.

My lips skimmed across to the edge of his jaw as I bit down gently and trailed kisses back to his mouth. "Why?"

"Because…" His eyes fluttered shut for a moment. "It's not a good idea."

"And why is that?"

"I can barely keep my hands off you as it is. If we keep kissing like this, I'm going to lose my self-control, and I don't think it would look good if the people we're swapping with turned up and found us ravishing each other in the hallway."

I grinned against his lips. "I don't mind."

His hands tightened on my hips. "I know you don't. You're a horny little minx." He yelped as my hand found its way into the front of his trousers, and he struggled to maintain his composure. "Roza."

"Mmmmm?"

"Stop. Please."

I grinned as my hand slipped inside of his boxers. "And what if I don't want to?"

His hand wrapped around my wrist, and forcefully pulled my hand out. "Stop." His eyes were wide as he gasped and stepped back. "You know how much you turn me on when you take charge. But-" He stepped back again as I stepped forwards. "Now really isn't the time or place, Roza."

I stalked towards him once again, and smiled slyly, when his back bumped against the wall.

"You're trapped, buster." I trailed one finger down his chest, and smiled as he swallowed heavily. "Now I want you to take off this shirt-"

"Hello?" A blonde head popped in through the open front door, and Dimitri visibly relaxed.

"We'll be a moment Miss. Sage."

She nodded. "I'm just here until my mum and dad arrive to make sure the movers don't drop or break anything. I'll be outside if you need me."

I scowled as she left and Dimitri moved out of my hold. "You're lucky, Belikov. If she'd been five minutes later…"

He chuckled and grabbed my hand. "I know, Roza. Now let's go and make sure that the mover's haven't broken or dropped any of _our_ stuff."

* * *

><p>"Wow." I sighed and leant back against Dimitri's chest as we stared out through the kitchen window into the garden. "No matter how many times we came here beforehand, I still can't believe that this is our home now. It's so… big."<p>

Boxes were stacked up against the walls in every room, along with rolls of carpet, underlay and wall paper. We had pots of paint in what would be the kids rooms, and the furniture was placed haphazardly in the rooms they'd belong to once everything was assembled and in its proper place.

The house, now that it was empty of its previous owner's things, was much, much larger than I'd realised.

We had a separate front room, dining room and kitchen. A cupboard under the stairs, by the back door, and a coat cupboard by the front door.

The garden we had was massive. It was at least fifteen feet long, with a blackberry bush that separated it into two parts; leaving the area closest to the house as a bright, sunny play area for the kids, whilst hiding the area behind from prying eyes. To someone who hadn't been out there, it looked like the garden was small, and ended with the blackberry bush, but we now knew that behind it lay a smaller, secluded area, that was perfect to sit in on a hot summer's day, and still have some shade from the tall oak tree that stood in the corner.

Upstairs, yet another argument started over who was having which room.

Tom started it off. "I call dibs on the big bedroom!"

"NO! Katrina and I are sharing it!" Alyssa joined in.

"NO! Me and daddy are having it!" Sophia piped up as well.

Katrina, ever the peacemaker, voiced the one thought that had escaped everyone else. "Then where's mum going to sleep?"

"IN THE TOILET!" I scowled at Sophia's solution, and elbowed Dimitri in the stomach when he laughed.

Upstairs Tom giggled. "She can't sleep in the toilet, Sophia," I smiled. At least one of my children cared for my well-being. "Because, what happens if we need the toilet during the night?"

Or not.

Silence.

I frowned as I made my way out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.

Directly opposite the top of the stairs was the largest bedroom, and on either side of it were two slightly smaller rooms. If you turned to the left and followed the hallway round the corner, you came to small room, much like one you expected to find in university accommodation, and next to that, a tiny box room. If you followed the hallway to the right, you found the toilet, and next to it, the bathroom with the shower, sink and airing cupboard.

I walked into the largest bedroom and glared at my four children.

"This," I gestured to the room as Dimitri came to stand beside me. "Is _mummy's_ room. I don't care how much you wanted to argue about it, this is my room. Katrina and Alyssa, you get the next biggest rooms, Tom gets the next smallest, and Sophia, you get the box room. _No_ arguing."

"Mum?" Katrina almost raised her hand.

"Yes, Katrina?"

"Alyssa and I wanted to share, if that's okay. And get bunk beds like dad said we could."

I nodded and smiled. "That's fine, honey. You two can share if you want to. No, Tom, you are not going to have one of the bigger rooms."

"But why not?" He glared up at me with his hands on his hips.

"Because you don't need a room that big. All you'll do is leave it messy. Having a smaller room will help you to keep it tidy. The room that's not being used will be the guest room."

He frowned, but didn't push it any further.

"Now, everyone needs to help out. Help each other to find your pyjama's and towels from the open boxes, and have a shower. While you do that, your dad and I are going to set up the air beds so you can go to sleep."

Sophia automatically took my hand, ready for me to help her shower and brush her teeth.

Dimitri kissed my forehead. "I'll go find the box with the blankets and sheets in."

* * *

><p>I sighed tiredly, but with satisfaction as I sat back on my heels and wiped at my forehead.<p>

It was almost five o'clock in the morning, and the sun was peaking in through the windows.

While the kids had slept in what would be our room, Dimitri and I had worked our way around the house, firstly placing down the underlay and then the carpet so that their feet wouldn't feel cold when they were walking around when they woke up. After that, we'd set up the bedframes in their rooms, ready for the mattresses to be placed on them when they were delivered later on today. We'd left our room for another day, not wanting to disrupt their sleep.

Shelves had been placed in the bathroom, with the necessities for them to use, and then we'd gone downstairs, to start over again.

More underlay was placed, with the carpet on top in the hallway and all of the rooms, except for the kitchen. In the front room we'd assembled the television stand, before we'd set up Dimitri's bookcases, and then placed his large Western collection onto the shelves. After that, up went the dining table, and a cabinet to hold our pots, pans, plates and cutlery, until we had the time to get the kitchen sorted and set up the cupboards. All that was left to do was to paint and wallpaper the walls, and then to set up the larger pieces of furniture. But that could wait until later today, when the kids would be awake and eager to help.

The last thing we did before we made our way upstairs to shower and sleep, was to check on the fridge-freezer, to ensure that the electrics hadn't suddenly switched off.

I drifted asleep with a contented smile on my face. Everything in my life was finally starting to work out.

* * *

><p>October half-term was a welcome distraction this year. It meant that the kids didn't have to go to school, Dimitri didn't have to go to work, and like usual, I had the week of work. The painting and decorating took three days to complete, and on the last day, Dimitri re-tiled the kitchen as the kids helped me place our DVD's and CD's onto the corresponding stands in the front room.<p>

The front room had been painted, a bright summery yellow, however, we'd painted the chimney breast white. I wanted to make this a feature wall of sorts, and the kids had already helped out, by going through our photo albums and picking out nice family shots, ready to be stuck onto the wall with Blu-tack. I was going to have to re-arrange the photos again, but that could wait until a weekend when I had some free time. We'd also chosen to keep both of our settees, even though they didn't match the new décor. That way, Dimitri and I could curl up together on one, while the kids lounged about on the other. I'd chosen black carpet for all of the rooms downstairs, the hallways and stairs, in case of food and drink spills, and to hide the dirty marks from people's shoes. A welcome mat can only get rid of so much dirt, after all.

The kitchen was completely white, to make it seem brighter and more spacious. We'd brought Dimitri's fridge-freezer with us, and taken mine to a rubbish dump, since his was a newer model. We'd cleaned the cupboards that were a permanent fixture of the house, scrubbing at them until they were back to their dormer glory. Then once Dimitri had finished tiling the kitchen, he'd mopped and scrubbed at the floor until it shone. We'd brought my cooker, since it was electric, and I could quite grasp the technique of cooking on a gas cooker like Dimitri's. He'd sold his, and used the money to buy the wallpaper for the hallway.

The dining room was now painted a rich, deep cherry red, with gold painted skirting boards like the front room. We'd brought Dimitri's two cabinets. In one, we placed his glassware, as well as his bone china set, and in the other, the pottery and small trinkets that the kids had made and accumulated at school fairs and the like.

The hallway and stairs were wallpapered in gold striped wallpaper, with skirting boards painted the same colour of those in the dining room and front room, as was the hallway upstairs.

The kids' rooms were all different.

Sophia's was lilac, and the ceiling was painted butter yellow. Her small bed was placed in the corner, along with her toy box, and her own small chest of drawers along the side wall. She had a small window, with butter yellow curtains to match her ceiling, and net curtains with little ducks embroidered into the lace at the bottom. She had a cream coloured carpet, and a multi coloured rug next to her bed, to add a brighter splash of colour to her room.

Tom's was 'Thomas the Tank Engine' blue, with a darker ceiling. He chose to have sea-green curtains. I'd tried to convince him otherwise, but he'd stubbornly refused to move from the stand they were on until I gave up trying to persuade him to choose a different colour. We'd been to the pound shop and brought a few packets of glow in the dark space shapes, and stuck them to the ceiling, so that at night, it looked as though he could see up and into the night sky. We'd kept his bed, since it was big enough to last him for another few years. He had a sea green carpet, to match his curtains.

Alyssa and Katrina had, as requested, shared their room. And clashed over which colour they wanted it. Alyssa wanted wallpaper, Katrina wanted paint. Alyssa wanted turquoise and white, Katrina wanted hot pink and mint green. In the end, we painted one wall each colour. They'd liked the idea of Tom's ceiling, and so, we'd gone out and brought more packets of glow in the dark shapes to stick to their 'midnight blue' ceiling. To add a sense of calm to the room, we used the same carpet in their room as we had in Sophia's. We sold their bed frame, and put the little bit of money we received towards the cost of their bunk beds. They were relatively cheap, since they were second hand, and we only had to buy one mattress, since Alyssa wanted to use the one she'd slept on before. They were happy with the arrangement; and apart from squabbles over who got to put what on the dressing table, sharing a room didn't seem to be a problem between them.

The toilet was tiled, and we hadn't done much in there except to scrub everything down. The toilet looked like it was brand new, so all that we really had to do was to place in a can of air freshener and some rolls of toilet paper. The bathroom was plain as well, but had two large mirrors drilled into the corner walls, which reflected the bathroom and made it seem bigger than it actually was. The bathtub and shower were brand new from the looks of things, like the toilet, and the walls were painted baby blue. I liked it, it was calming, and so we just added in our home comforts.

Finally, we came to the grand finale. The master bedroom. Mummy and daddy's room.

The floor was carpeted in plush, thick, deep purple carpet, that cushioned your feet beautifully when you walked across it. The windows were framed by royal blue, velvet curtains, with nets that had a silver swirly design. The walls weren't painted a specific colour. We'd bought a large tub of white paint, and had added the left over paint from Alyssa and Katrina's ceiling, bit by bit, until we achieved the hue we wanted. It wasn't strong, more like white with a hint of blue, but it was understated, and emphasised the rich colours of the curtains and carpets. The ceiling, like all of the rooms was a complete contrast to the rest of the room, and was painted a bright forest green. The walls were adorned with framed photos of our family, and of Dimitri's family. I hadn't met them yet, but had spoken to them over Skype a few times. It was strange, but nice to finally be able to put a face to the names whenever Dimitri spoke about them. Dimitri had brought his television with him as well, and set it up in our room, while we placed mine in the front room for the kids to watch.

However, the real feature of the room wasn't the photos, but the bed. We'd ordered a brand new, king-sized bed, complete with a net canopy and frilly valance. It was huge, with a soft, yet firm mattress, and most importantly, it was ours. We didn't have to share it, or fold it away every day. It would stay there, ready for our use, whenever we needed it, or simply wanted to use it. If I wanted to nap when I came home from work, I didn't have to unfold the sofa bed to make sure that there was still enough space for the kids to sit and watch television. Now, we truly had a room that belonged to us.

We had a home.

* * *

><p>"Roza?"<p>

"Mmmm?"

My sleepy sigh was interrupted by a yawn as I traced patterns across Dimitri's bare chest. I loved to watch the ripple and flex of his muscles as I traced them lightly with my fingertips. In turn, his fingers massaged the muscles in my lower back, softly working out the kinks and helping to remove the tension that had built up during the day.

At that moment, we were both naked and cuddled together underneath the covers as we waited for our breathing to calm and even out. We'd officially consummated our relationship in our new house.

"If you want to go again, I think we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Staying up late every night to get the house organised as quickly as possible has its drawbacks, especially on my stamina."

Dimitri chuckled and ran his fingers through my hair. "Unfortunately, staying up seems to have had a similar effect on my body too. I'm just about ready to tuck you up into my arms and fall asleep."

I poked at his rock hard stomach muscles. "You big softie. You look tough, but at heart you're just a big lump of goo. No wonder Sophia has the run of the house when I'm out."

He laughed out loud and tilted his face down to look at me fully, amusement glinting in the depths of his chocolate brown eyes. "No, she just knows the effect that using the puppy dog look has, especially with her huge, emerald green eyes. I can't say no, and she knows it."

I smirked. "That's why I told you not to buy her that first ice-cream. Once she finds your weakness, she'll exploit it. Good luck dealing with her when she hits puberty."

There was silence, and I giggled. "You didn't think about that, did you?" Dimitri shook his head, and I rubbed his arm soothingly. "You've got another ten years before that's due to happen. That's plenty of time to unwind yourself from around her little finger." At his sour expression I laughed again. "Now, in a desperate attempt to change the subject, what did you want to talk to me about?"

This time, Dimitri dropped my gaze, instead focusing on the embroidery of the bed sheet.

"Talk to me, Dimitri."

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, before he breathed out deeply and turned to face me. "I-" The words died on his lips, and he swallowed heavily.

"You what? Have a secret fetish? Have a raging crack addiction? Have three secret wives and a donkey back in Baia?" At the last suggestion his eyes practically bulged out of his head.

"No!" I grinned and rested my head on his chest.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. If you've decided that you want to take up Tasha's offer, I'm warning you know that I'll go and hunt her down and explain very… _politely,_ why she shouldn't steal my boyfriend before I beat the shit out of her pretty little-"

Dimitri's hand over my mouth cut off my little rant. "How many times do I have to tell you that you, Rosemarie Hathaway, are and always will be the _only_ woman for me?"

I smiled at his words, and he removed his hand. "I was going to ask…" He seemed almost nervous.

"Just spit it out, Dimitri."

"Why don't you go back to university?"

I blinked at him, and then frowned. "What?"

"Why don't you go and get your degree, like you would have done if you hadn't fallen pregnant?"

"Because I'm too old and have three jobs that I need to work so that I can afford to pay the bills on time each month."

"I've already told you that you don't need to work all three of them anymore-"

"I know, but it's a routine that I've gotten into. I've cut down my hours at Tesco, now that we're combining our pay checks, but I enjoy my jobs Dimitri. Sure, I don't enjoy cleaning up the bar after a busy night, especially when people leave 'surprises' behind, but I like the people I work with, and I enjoy getting out and about. What am I going to do with a degree anyway?"

"Whatever you'd planned to do with it in the first place. You said that you wanted to study Biology. You achieved the grades that you needed to study Biology at university level. So there's no reason why you shouldn't go for it, now that you have the means and the stability to do so."

"I'm too old."

He rolled his eyes. "No you're not. That's an excuse, and you know it. Enrol as a mature student."

"Yeah, I wanted to study Biology and human genetics, but that ship has sailed, Dimitri. It's such a new area of research; _everything_ and I mean everything, has changed since I studied my A-levels. To catch up to the theories they're using now, I'd have to go back to college."

"You did the night classes. You could do one of those for Biology."

I shook my head. "I don't have the time. And the money that I'd have to pay out, wouldn't be worth it. University costs so much, and I wouldn't have time to do all the work and extra-reading I'd need to do to pass my coursework and dissertations. Why should I re-apply?"

He turned my question around on me. "Why shouldn't you re-apply to university, Roza? Go for it. Go and study human genetics. Just because you didn't get the chance to go before, that's not to say that you should give up now. If Biology is what you wanted to study, and the career path you wanted to follow, go for it. You know you have the support of every single person in this family. We won't let you fall."

A smile crept onto my face as excitement from Dimitri's words bubbled in my stomach. "Okay. I'll _think_ about it. I've got almost a year until the course would start. That's plenty of time to refresh my mind, right?"

He nodded. "And if you feel that it's not, then you can apply the year after, or the year after that. I just wanted to make you see that that option still exists for you, Roza. Just because the order of your life changed, it doesn't mean that certain steps can't still happen."

* * *

><p>Dimitri was in the kitchen, talking to his mother on Skype as he cooked dinner. We'd all stayed out of there for the past twenty minutes, to give him some privacy, but Sophia had been asking for her bottle for a while, and I couldn't expect her to keep waiting.<p>

I hovered in the doorway for a moment, unsure about whether or not to go in as Dimitri talked to Olena.

"Have you told her yet?"

He shook his head as he stirred something in one of the pots over the hob.

"No. I didn't want to say anything to Roza until I was sure. Is everything set?"

My curiosity spiked and I interrupted. "Say what to Roza?"

Dimitri jumped and turned round as Olena's hearty laughter echoed from his laptop. "I told you to tell her beforehand, Dimka. Roza, come around here so I can see your face."

We hadn't even met in person, and she treated me as though I was her daughter. The kids all spoke to her on a regular basis, making sure to at least poke their heads in and say hi whenever Dimitri called her. Her tone was disapproving as she narrowed her eyes at Dimitri's tall form. "Dimitri's rude for hogging me and not letting me say hi to you and my grandkids." My heart warmed at her acceptance of me and my children into her family. From the first day that Dimitri had 'introduced' us, she'd related to the kids as though they were her own, and encouraged them to refer to her as 'nana' or 'grandma' at least. "We – the whole family – are coming to England in three weeks. Our plane tickets are booked, and everything else is done."

"Really?" It took a few seconds for the dates to make sense in my head. "You're coming over to spend Christmas with us?"

She nodded and grinned, a little twinkle sparkling in her chocolate brown eyes. "Christmas is the time for family, Roza. And Lord knows it's about time for us to meet the English additions to our family."

"Is Viktoria coming?" I'd grown relatively close to Dimitri's younger sister. We talked over Skype in our own separate conversations, and emailed each other regularly, so that she could complain about the fact that he kept threatening her boyfriends. Dimitri was fiercely protective about all of them, in the way that brothers are, but because Vik was his youngest sister, his over-protectiveness tended to show itself more frequently when he spoke to her. _Especially_ if she mentioned a guy's name. He tried to do the same with Karolina and Sonya, but they tended to baby him and laugh his comments off.

It was hilarious to watch him try to assert his 'brotherly authority', just to be shot down and talked over as they teased him about our relationship.

"They're all going to come over, Roza." Dimitri grinned and kissed the top of my head. "Ma, Babushka, Karo, Sonya, Vik and the kids."

"Where's everyone going to sleep?"

"Mama and Babushka will share the guest room, the kids can all double up and do top to toe, and we have the sofa bed and my sofa for Viktoria, Sonya and Karolina to fight over."

"Dimitri!" I think my tone was as shocked as Olena's was scolding.

"You can't expect your sisters to sleep on the sofa. They'll be our guests."

He shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the glares that were being thrown in his direction. "Then they can use the kids' sleeping bags."

* * *

><p><strong>Please review, and also check out my latest one-shot 'My Russian Rampant Rabbit'. I'd really appreciate some feedback for it! xx<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three.**

**I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be saying thank you to someone, for something… but it's gone 4am and I'm too tired to even think straight. **

**I love that everybody picked up on something different from the last chapter, and enjoyed all the different, separate elements to it. Thank you!**

**DXR – I said this to one of my signed reviewers, and I'll say it to you too. Don't worry about Adrian for the moment. Just enjoy the happy times that RxD are having, and the good times that are still to come :) And I love yellow! Ah, butter yellow, it's so… homey! :D Hehe, Dimitri makes me giggle, but he is a sweetheart. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Angela masson – Aha, I think that people will be happily surprised when Yeva makes her appearance!**

**Clair95 – I'm glad you liked it! :)**

**Happy birthday to Ms. Sweden! Go read her fanfics – they're hilarious, and soooooo sweet and romantic! **

**This chapter is unbeta'ed once again, because I'm too damn impatient. So any mistakes are mine.**

**I just couldn't resist. I cracked. Here's some more of that sexy Russian we all love…**

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV. <strong>

I glared at the long stretch of motorway ahead of us as the kids chatted happily from their seats in the back. We'd hired a minibus to pick up my family, and to use for the next two weeks while they were here. Despite using my old two-seater for a down payment on the new seven-seater we had, it still wasn't big enough to transport all of my family. There were going to be fourteen of us in total, and so the best thing had been to hire a mini-van for the Christmas holidays.

But even the thought of seeing my family in a few hours' time, wasn't enough to make me smile. I was not happy with the sleeping arrangements that my mother and Roza had fixed.

"I still don't see why I have to sleep on the sofa. Why can't Karolina and Sonya share the sofa bed while Viktoria sleeps on the sofa? Why do you and Vik get to share the sofa bed while Karo and Sonya have our bed?"

"Because, your family members are our guests, and so, they get the best places to sleep. Stop bitching about it. Two weeks really isn't that long."

I frowned as Roza glared at me. "Trust me, on my sofa, it is. I wasn't kidding when I said that it wasn't comfortable."

"Then why did you buy it?"

I shrugged. How was I to know that the one they delivered was going to be one of the hardest, lumpiest things known to man? The one in the shop had been a lot more appealing. "It's comfortable to sit on, but not to sleep on. I didn't find that out until I'd had it for about six months. By then, it would have been too much hassle to take it back to the shop and get a new one."

She laughed. "Then it serves you right. That's why I got the kids to try out every sofa in the shop before I even considered getting my first one. Children don't lie when it comes down to things like comfort."

That brought a smile to my lips. "Well, unfortunately, I didn't have you or the kids in my life when I bought it. Do you think we should buy a new one, and get rid of my uncomfortable one? We could get another sofa-bed, and then you could share with me instead of Vik." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively, and she giggled.

"If you want to use your mon-"

"_Our_ money."

Roza rolled her eyes. "Fine. _Our_ money, to buy another sofa bed, then go ahead. I can't tell you what you can and can't buy. However, we will not be getting naked together when your sister is sleeping in the same room as us."

"So you're going to make me sleep on my own, for two whole weeks? You're going to leave me, cold and lonely, while you snuggle up to my sister?"

Roza laughed, that perfect, happy laugh she had echoing around the minivan we'd hired. "Of course. Who knows, she might be even better at snuggling than you are."

I smirked. "No one, and I mean _no one_, is better at snuggling than I am, Roza. You of all people should know that."

My smirk turned into a smug grin as out of the corner of my eye I saw her gulp and flush lightly.

Maybe the next two weeks wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

><p>"Dimka!"<p>

"Yes Mama?" I sighed internally as I snuck a glance at the clock on the minivan radio. Another hour to go before we reached the house. Rose giggled but looked at me sympathetically. She was still in the passenger seat, since all the kids wanted to talk to each other, and my mother wanted to talk with our children too.

"Why haven't you combed your hair?"

"I have!"

"It doesn't look like it to me."

"_Mama_-"

"Don't use that tone of voice with me. Your hair is in a disgraceful state, young man. Haven't you heard of having a trim…"

I tuned her voice out as I glared at my sister's through the rear-view mirror. They had started the conversation off, and my mother had happily continued it. If they'd kept their mouths shut, mama would have been happy to babble on to Roza and the kids, and stay in her happy state of mind, because she was here. Now, I was stuck with a lecture that I knew would last all the way to the house, pause while we showed her around, start up again while we had dinner, pause while she talked to Roza and the kids some more, and then start up again until it was a decent enough hour for me to pretend I was tired enough to go to bed and escape from her nagging.

I loved my mother dearly, but she knew exactly how to make me feel like a child all over again. Even Tom looked unimpressed with me.

"… And why has it been so long since you last came home? Baia's changed so much since you were last there, Dimka. Everyone always asks after you, and all I can tell them is that you don't have the time or the money, and that you'll be back soon."

"But I don't have the money, mama."

She tutted and rolled her eyes. "You bought a new car."

"This is a hire car, mama."

"Same thing. You could have used the money for this on your plane ticket."

"And what about Roza and the kids? I'm not going to leave them behind."

My mother eyes softened as she glanced at Roza. "No, that wouldn't be right."

"Suck up." I glared at Karolina.

"Karo, if I had something to throw at you right now, believe me, I'd throw it."

"Why don't you just throw your ba-"

"Viktoria!" Our mother looked appalled and shocked at what my youngest sister was about to say, while Rose started laughing.

I grinned smugly and turned in my seat briefly to stick my tongue out in triumph as mama told her off in Russian.

Her eyes narrowed and she shot back at me. "Well, it's not like you've got any use for them since you're so obviously whipped. From what I've heard, _Roza_ makes all the decisions."

Roza saved me from having to answer. "Trust me Vik, _I_ have a lot of uses for them, and other parts of your brothers anatomy. He's such a fine specimen, it would be a waste to cut them off and-"

I placed my hand over her mouth. "That's enough I think. The kids don't need those sorts of mental images, and neither do I, Roza." Roza's eyes shone with humour as she grinned and turned in her seat to see Viktoria.

"See Vik, he can shut me up with one look. He wouldn't be able to do that if he didn't have his you-know-what's."

All the adults in my family looked disgusted at the turn the conversation had taken, while the kids just looked confused.

I glanced at the clock. Only another half an hour to go.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

The Belikov's were all so… nice. They were honestly like the family I'd never had. And they _all_ had the same deep, chocolate brown eyes as Dimitri.

As soon as we'd seen them in the airport, Olena had rushed over to us, and brought both Dimitri and I into a bone crushing hug. She'd released us; stared at Dimitri with tears in her eyes and hugged him again as he stood up straight, so that he feet dangled in the air.

I'd never seen a woman in her sixties shriek and giggle the way Olena had when Dimitri swung her around and pressed a happy kiss to both of her cheeks.

"Mama."

Their reunion had been tear-jerking as they embraced each other and chatted rapidly in Russian, whilst Olena tried to fix his hair and straighten his collar in the way that only a mother could.

Karolina and Sonya had hugged Dimitri next, while I was surrounded by happy and excited squeals. It was the first time that Viktoria and I had met in the flesh, and I wasn't disappointed.

Despite our differing experiences, the closeness of our ages meant that we clicked almost straight away, and I was finally able to find out the few finer bits of gossip that she hadn't told me over Skype, in case Dimitri tried to eavesdrop again.

Once we'd finished nattering away and catching up on gossip, Olena had pulled me into another hug. Happy tears shone in her eyes as she kissed both of my cheeks and sniffled.

"Thank you, Roza."

"For what?"

She grinned brightly and glanced over at Dimitri who was talking to Paul. "For making my son happy. For simply being the amazing, beautiful person you are. I've never seen him like this, so light and hopeful. And for that, I can never thank you enough."

I shook my head, and unable to help myself, hugged her again, breathing in the warm 'mum' smell she seemed to carry. "Thank you, Olena, for having such a wonderful son. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't met him."

We'd both thanked each other numerous times, and by the time we were finished, my cheeks were flushed and I had tears in my eyes too. Olena was the mum I'd wished for, but never had. She'd accepted me, and my baggage instantly, and that hadn't changed once she met me in person. Instead, she seemed to grow even more attached, and bustled off to spend some time with her grandkids so she could talk to them in person too.

Paul was nine, but seemed to have formed a quick and easy friendship with Tom despite the age gap. Sophia was the same age as Zoya, while Orel was a year younger, but they all toddled around together quite happily, following their older siblings actions.

That only left one person for me to meet.

Yeva. Dimitri's grandmother.

I'd been told a few horror stories from both Viktoria and Dimitri about her, and was dreading this meeting. I didn't know how she was going to react to me, and to put it simply, I was frightened.

I was scared of her judgement, and that if she didn't approve, Dimitri might re-think his decision to be with me. I'd seen how important family was to him, and I wasn't going to force him to choose.

My worry must have shown in my face as my eyes searched for her small figure, because Dimitri excused himself and left the conversation he was having with Paul, and made his way over to me.

His arm wrapped around my waist naturally as his chocolate brown eyes met mine. "What's wrong?"

"I'm really nervous." My voice was a whisper and he frowned.

"Of what? You've already met everyone."

I shook my head. "I haven't met Yeva yet." My hands fisted into the front of his shirt, and understanding filled his eyes.

"She'll love you, Roza, like the others do. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"There's plenty to be afraid of." The words didn't come from me, but rather, the tiny, frail elderly lady who'd appeared next to us. Her long, grey hair had been plaited, and twisted into an elegant up-do, and while she wore every-day clothes, with her posture, it seemed like she was set to go to work, rather than to meet her family. Her petite face was lined with wrinkles, yet her eyes, the same shade and shape as Dimitri's, were sharp and alerts as she regarded us both coolly.

"Dimka. Мой внук. I need to speak to Roza."

The dismissal was clear in her voice, and Dimitri turned to face me, worry evident in his eyes. He cupped my face in his hands, and brushed his lips against mine. "I love you. Stand your ground."

"I love you too." He kissed me softly once more, and then walked over to Viktoria, leaving me alone to face his grandmother.

I fidgeted as she watched me for a long minute, her face impassive and unreadable. Then, just when I thought that I was going to burst from the tension she took a step towards me, and held out her hand.

I hesitated, but eventually placed my hand into hers, surprised by the soft, smooth texture of her skin.

She closed her eyes and muttered something in Russian as her grip tightened, and my stomach clenched with worry.

I glanced around, hoping to be met with relaxed faces, but the rest of the Belikov's were watching our exchange, worry and apprehension the prominent emotions on their faces.

I looked back at Yeva, whose eyebrows puckered with concentration, before her eyes snapped open and she stared at me. A melange of emotions passed across her features before she composed herself, and clasped my hand tighter. "Do you love him?"

The question threw me and it took a second for me to grasp who she meant. "Do you love him?" Her voice seemed slightly panicked.

"Ye- yes. With all my heart. I do, Yeva."

She nodded, and her eyes calmed slightly. "Your road is still unclear. I see two endings, but neither is assured. Dimka will walk alongside you, but whether he's there to share in your ending is up to you. You have my blessing and my acceptance, Roza. I see your devotion to my grandson, but that may not be enough." Yeva seemed to be talking to herself, and I waited for her to release my hand, too frightened to try and pull away. "Believe, Roza. When the time is right, you will understand what I mean. _Believe_."

The word held some meaning, some answer behind it, but before I could question her, she'd dropped my hand and turned away to motion towards her bags. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>We were all sat in the front room, when Olena suddenly jumped up and rifled through her rucksack. I was sandwiched in between Olena and Viktoria on my sofa, while Dimitri, Sonya and Karolina shared his. Sophia, Orel and Zoya were napping upstairs, Tom and Paul were playing Hot Wheels in the dining room, and Alyssa and Katrina were in their room.<p>

"Ma? What are you looking for?" Viktoria voiced the question I was thinking.

"For the photos…" Almost every Belikov's face lit up in excitement, while Dimitri's dropped with horror.

"Mama, you brought my _baby_ photos?" I'd never expected to hear Dimitri whine about something.

"Of course, Dimka. It's my duty as your mother to show your partner the most embarrassing pictures I have of you." Triumphantly, Olena stood up, a bright, white envelope clasped in her hand. "I knew I had them somewhere!" She grinned as she moved back to the sofa and sat down next to me. "These are Dimka's baby photos. Roza, he was the cutest little baby you'd ever see-"

"Not that you can tell now. I wonder what happened to his face?" Karolina added as Viktoria and Sonya burst into giggles.

Olena looked at them disapprovingly. "Don't be mean about your brother. I'm surprised he even had the confidence to go out and find a lady with the way you all try to belittle h-."

"Mama!" Dimitri looked distraught at Olena's slip of the tongue, while his sisters burst into peals of laughter.

"As I was saying, Roza," Olena emptied the content of the envelope into my lap. "I would have shown you much earlier, but we haven't met in person until now. And it would have been rude to show you through Skype." She cast another 'mum' look at Dimitri, who was glowering at the floor. "Dimitri should have brought you over to Russia straight away. Why is it, Dimka, that you've been with Roza for over a year, and she still hasn't been to your hometown? How can your kids not know about the place where you grew up?"

I was shocked. Olena, sweet little Olena, was reprimanding Dimitri, her thirty five year old son, who towered over her by at least a foot, and he was taking it all silently. The poor floor wasn't escaping the heat of his glare though. He looked like a naughty five year old, who'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been.

"Olena, cut him some slack. Things between us haven't exactly been easy, and I've not really been in the position where I could just jet off to Russia with him to meet you, even if I wanted to. Plus, I haven't been the best girlfriend to Dimitri, so it wouldn't have been fair to him, or you, for me to visit."

Olena's eyes softened with understanding. "It's good that you've moved on from that time, Roza. Don't let it hold you back from happiness."

I nodded, and my gaze flickered across the room to meet Dimitri's. "I won't."

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><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

My family had been here for three days now, and I hadn't had a chance to speak to Babushka alone. Now, it was almost time for dinner, and while everyone moved into the dining room, I steered my grandmother into the kitchen with me, under the pretence of getting the cutlery and dinner plates.

She knew exactly what I was going to ask, and reached into her cardigan pocket.

But I had to be sure. "Did you bring it with you, Babushka?"

My grandmother grinned happily, her eyes shining with contentment and pride as she unfurled her hand, to reveal the shiny piece of jewellery.

"Here you go, Мой внук." To give to the woman you complete, and who completes you in return."

I smiled softly, as I took the delicate piece of jewellery from her outstretched palm, and then pulled her tiny body into a firm embrace. She laughed, and hugged me back just as tightly. When it came to my grandmother, looks certainly were deceiving. She appeared to be a frail, weak, old lady, but in reality she was as tough as old boots, with a temper and will to match. I knew that she'd been tough on Roza when they'd first been introduced, but I hadn't intervened. That was my Babushka's way of making sure that not only was Roza suitable for me, but that I was worthy of her, and the love she'd gifted me with.

"I never thought I'd see the day when one of my grandchildren actually made good on their oath."

I grinned in return. As children, my sisters and I had often discussed, and argued about, who would have what of our grandmothers jewellery when we grew up. Our grandfather had bought most of it for her, for anniversaries and birthdays, but when he'd died, shortly after Viktoria's birth, Babushka had stopped wearing it. The pain of his death had been too much for her to wear a daily reminder of his love.

But that didn't discourage her from showing us, and reminiscing about happier times.

Karolina had always wanted Babushka's golden, jewel-encrusted engagement ring, so that she and her future husband would be as lucky in love as our grandparents had been.

Sonya had wanted their golden wedding bands when she got married, to give her the same strength in her marriage.

Viktoria had wanted Babushka's delicate, silver crucifix, which our grandfather had bought for their thirtieth wedding anniversary.

And me? I'd wanted the silver, jewelled, blue egg pendant, that my grandfather had bought my grandmother when they'd found out that she was pregnant. I had wanted something that was special to my family, for the woman I would love.

But things hadn't turned out like that.

Viktoria received the crucifix as a First Holy Communion gift from Babushka, but I didn't find the woman to wear her chain. Karolina and Sonya found men, but neither of them stuck around long enough to put a ring on either of their fingers.

Instead, Sonya gave up on finding 'Mr. Right', and Karolina took to wearing Babushka's chain after she had Paul, to show that she was blessed to have a child in her life, like Babushka had been.

I'd given up hope of finding the woman I wanted to wear my family's jewellery.

That was, until I met Roza.

Babushka had given Roza her blessing, and I wanted to give her something special.

I just wasn't sure about how she was going to react.

Sensing my sudden bout of nervousness, my grandmother pulled me down into another comforting hug.

"She won't push you away again, Dimka. Have faith in your love, and hers." I smiled, but she didn't release me from her clasp. "Just remember, things aren't always as they appear, and that the road ahead is not paved solely with gold. _Promise me_, no matter how tough things get, you'll remember these words, and believe in your Roza. Don't let bitterness tear you apart."

There was a knowing glint in her brown eyes, and sadness, along with a spark of hope. Suddenly, my grandmother seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Don't give up Dimka. I love you, Мой внук. не сдаваться."

"Babushka," I frowned. "Did you see something? In a vision? Why-"

She placed her small hand over my mouth, and stared at me intensely. "It's not my place to say, Dimka. I can answer your questions, but you need to search for the solutions yourself. It's a part of your journey, one that's now intertwined with Roza's, and for me to intervene… I would only complicate matters further. All will be revealed in due course, but the clues are already there, if you open your eyes to them. Don't let the danger grow until it becomes too great. That is the last I will say on the matter. Now go, your future is waiting for you to re-join her in the dining room."

With those poignant words, my grandmother kissed my cheek, and left the kitchen – with an armful of dinner plates to maintain the façade.

I stayed in there for a few minutes, and once I'd collected myself, I picked up the cutlery and made my way back in to the dining room. Roza's eyes caught mine, and immediately clouded over with worry as she walked towards me.

"You okay?" Her touch was comforting, soothing, as she cupped my cheek softly.

I nodded and drew her into my arms, burying my face into her hair as I inhaled deeply. "Just a few things on my mind."

She pulled back and stared up at me questioningly. "Anything I should be worried about?" I shook my head, and she stretched up onto her tiptoes to kiss me gently. "You can tell me, you know that."

I nodded. "I know." I kissed her again, revelling in the feeling of her soft lips against mine, before I pulled back and hugged her to my chest tightly. "I love you, Roza."

"I love you too, Dimitri."

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

**Мой****внук**** – my grandson.  
><strong>**не сдаваться – ****don****'****t ****give ****up****.**

**The jewellery links will go up on my profile after the next chapter has been posted.**

**Now that I've updated I'm off to get a few hours of sleep before I have to wake up and do more university work. The things I do for you guys… Lol. Night! (well, morning!) xx**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four.**

**I'm not putting a lot of Christmas details into this story because I'm writing an outtake that'll post on the real life Christmas Day.**

**The links for the info used on this page are on my profile. The jewellery links will go up with the next chapter, sorry guys.**

**Clair95 – that she did! **

**DXR – Awww thank you! Lol, Dimitri's family are hilarious, but I love them. And lol, I'm sure they will! ;)**

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><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

It was the day after Boxing Day, and Dimitri's family had just under a week left with us, before they headed back to Russia. Christmas had been a fun-filled, busy, enjoyable day, which had truly been about family and being together. Now, after the fuss and frills that came with Christmas, we were enjoying the time we had left together before they had to leave.

I'd spent a lot of time with Viktoria, getting to know her in person; and she'd even borrowed Dimitri's car once so that we could drive to London on our own. Dimitri had driven us all down a few days before, but going around in a big group had restricted us to mostly seeing the big tourist attractions like Big Ben and Piccadilly Square. Viktoria forced me to dress up, did my hair, and then drove us all the way to London… so we could go clubbing. That was the first and last time that I made the mistake of listening to her crazy ideas.

But it had been a new experience, and a lot of fun. So had the quieter moments that I'd spent, getting to know Dimitri's niece and nephews, or talking to Olena. She taught me how to make Black Bread without burning it, and over the course of the week, I found myself telling her everything that had happened between Adrian and I. It was painful, but she shared her experience at the hands of Dimitri's father, and helped me jump the last hurdle that had been holding me back. What happened to me, hadn't happened solely to me, and wasn't my fault. With her help, I could finally see that I was lucky to have gotten out of it, and to have found love – true love – again.

* * *

><p>Dimitri and Viktoria had been talking together in Russian in the front room, while the rest of his family spread themselves in either the kitchen or the dining room. Olena, Karolina and Sonya were making dinner; while all of the kids sat in the dining room with Yeva, my kids trying to learn Russian, and the others helping them; as my kids tried to teach them Turkish in return.<p>

I kept trying to help out with the dinner, but Olena told me to sit down every time. According to her, I was too skinny, and so needed to sit down and eat, rather than to waste my energy running around and helping.

"_Dimitri Belikov!" Olena's voice was chastising as she released me from yet another one of her many hugs. "Shame on you. Look at how thin Roza is. Aren't you feeding your lady?"_

_I laughed. "Olena, I'm hardly what you'd call malnourished."_

"_Nonsense." She rifled through her handbag and pulled out a folded photo of Dimitri and I, one that we'd taken on my birthday. "You've lost so much weight. You've still got your curves, but it's like there's a third of you missing. I can practically feel your rib cage when I hug you, Roza."_

_Behind her back, all of the Belikov's rolled their eyes. Olena had a tendency to over exaggerate._

"_Mama, Roza is beautiful. Her weight loss has been gradual and natural. She's not been crash dieting. Just calm d-"_

_Olena ignored her son and turned to me, solemnity clear to see in her eyes. "Don't you worry, Roza. Now I'm here, we'll have you back to normal in no time."_

I giggled out loud as Olena added a few more potatoes to the pot of boiling water, with a pointed look in my direction. Yes, I had lost weight, but no, it hadn't been intentional. The out of hours 'exercise' with Dimitri had been the reason behind it. My hips had become more defined, my waist slimmer, and my thighs had toned slightly, which in turn made my bust seem fuller than it already was. The difference wasn't startling, but it was enough that I'd needed to buy clothes that were a size smaller.

"Roza! Get Viktoria to leave me alone." Apparently, Dimitri had reached his breaking point when it came down to his sisters. They bullied and teased him relentlessly, but underneath it all, there was a strong sense of family, and fondness.

"Since you won't let me help, I think I'll go and rescue Dimitri."

Three sets of chocolate brown eyes met mine, and sparkled with something. Olena nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds like a brilliant idea, dear. Karo, go and help, Roza."

"I can do it on my own. Vik's not that hard to handle."

The three of them shared a _look_, and Karolina started to wash her hands off. "Trust me, Roza. Sometimes Vik gets a little over excited."

"What's she got to be excited about?"

Karolina's face turned impassive as we made our way down the hallway towards the front room. "Oh, anything and everything." Her voice was offhand as she poked her head round the doorframe and said something to her sister in Russian.

Dimitri looked relieved at our sudden appearance, and motioned for me to come further into the room.

"Vik, go away and bug someone else. Roza, come read with me." From his place on the sofa Dimitri opened his arms out towards me, and intrigued, I stepped into his embrace. "Thanks, Karo."

She smiled, and Viktoria winked at me, before they both left the room, their voices floating down the hallway.

"You're browsing the web and reading the Bible at the same time?" My brow wrinkled as Dimitri nodded and kissed my cheek. "I thought you weren't very religious?"

"I'm not, but my faith has strengthened over the past few years. When I was younger, I didn't really believe in anything. I'd just go to church with my mother and ponder life in general. But after everything that happened with Ivan, the Church became my refuge. It was the one place I could go, and stay all day, without feeling like I was invading anyone's personal space or interrupting their lives. While I was at Church, it gave whoever I was staying with some privacy and time to themselves." I nodded understandingly, and he slid the small, yet surprisingly heavy book into my hands. "What's your favourite passage?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, really. I'm not huge on religion. Like I told you before, too much crap has happened to my family and me for me to believe that there's some greater good coming out of it."

Dimitri chuckled and nudged my shoulder. "If some of that bad stuff hadn't happened, we wouldn't have met."

I nodded grudgingly. "That's true. The only passage I've ever remembered is 1 Corinthians 14. It's just… beautiful and poignant. It's always stuck in my head, from the day I heard it. I always said that when I got married, I wanted to have it as one of the readings during the wedding ceremony… but since I married Adrian in a rush because I was pregnant, the wedding was basic and quick, even though it was in a church. Done before you could blink."

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I nodded as Dimitri finished speaking. "That's the one."

"There's no reason why you couldn't still have it."

I sighed and leant my head against his chest. "Been there done that, and I doubt you're stupid enough to want to tie yourself down in that way."

He poked my side, and then lifted his laptop onto my lap. "Have you been on this site before?"

I scrolled down a few times and shook my head. "Nope. It seems sweet though."

Dimitri nodded and ushered me off of his lap so he could stand up. As he moved over to the CD player he motioned for me to sit down again. "Keep reading." He smiled to himself as he selected a cd and placed it into the player.

"Why?"

"You'll know when you see it."

_We may not have all the answers  
>Oh I know that we can change some of the things that are beyond our control<br>And the vision of us may be blurry  
>But use your heart to see<br>Just follow the beat, the rhythm will lead you right back to me_

_Sometimes it's a game of give and take_  
><em>Its easy to break but hold on and wait<em>  
><em>Have a little faith<em>

_I will go down to the last round  
>I'll be your strength to find you when you get lost in the crowd<br>So I'll stand up tall, if by chance I fall  
>Then I'll go down as a casualty of love<br>_

"Spill it, Belikov. What's with the mushy lyrics and getting me to flick through this… 'Love Gives Me Hope' website?"

Annoyingly, he just grinned and sat down next to me. "It'll make sense in a moment. Just keep reading."

I huffed, but did as he said.

_The battle of us could be simple  
>Escape without being hurt<br>Cause love is a shield, keeps us concealed  
>From what could get even worse<em>

_So baby let me be your soldier_  
><em>Don't be overtaken by pride<em>  
><em>Just close your eyes, take my hand<em>  
><em>promise to keep us alive<em>

Some of the stories on the site were incredibly sweet, others slightly mushy, and some were just inspiring.

_Sometimes it's a game of give and take  
>Its easy to break but hold on and wait<br>Have a little faith  
><em>

I'd already scrolled through three full pages and was about to click onto my fourth when one of the previous notes caught my eye. I didn't know how I'd missed it, and eagerly scrolled back up, eager to hear what this person had to say about their loved one.

_I will go down to the last round  
>I'll be your strength to find you when you get lost in the crowd<br>So I'll stand up tall, if by chance I fall  
>Then I'll go down as a casualty of love<em>

_All is fair in love and war_  
><em>Knock me down and I'll get back up wanting more<em>  
><em>Through the fire and rain, it makes me numb from the pain<em>  
><em>That's the price, that's the price, I'll pay<em>

'A French saying that's commonly used on posy rings is 'My whole heart, for my whole life.' And I find that saying to be incredibly true. Even though we've only been together for eighteen months, I feel like I've known and loved her for my entire life. We have four beautiful children together, though none of them are mine biologically, and one of them isn't hers biologically either. Roza, they say that 'soul-mates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you.' And that's so true. In my eyes, you're perfect. I love you, every curve, every curl, and every inch that is you. I love you each and every down day, fat day, grumpy day, happy day and all of the days in between. I know I haven't asked your father's permission yet, and I intend to do that as soon as possible. So will you please grant me the greatest honour in the world, by becoming my wife?'

_I will go down to the last round  
>I'll be your strength to find you when you get lost in the crowd<br>So I'll- I'll stand up tall, and baby, chance I fall  
>Then I'll go down as a casualty of love <em>

The song finished at the exact moment that I finished reading. My jaw dropped and I turned to Dimitri, sure that this was all a joke… to find him in front of me, down on one knee.

I'm pretty sure my fish impression would have won me first place in a talent competition.

"Roza," Dimitri took my hand in his as he held up a small, black velvet ring box. "I love you, with all my heart, body, mind and soul. I can't imagine being apart from you. Will you, Rosemarie Hathaway, marry me?"

**I wanna hear your responses! Don't hold back! :D**

**The song used was Casualty of Love by Jessie J. I strongly suggest that you go listen to it, and re-read the chapter while doing so. It's a beautiful song, and she's an amazing artist. :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five.**

**The Halloween one-shot/outtake that I promised for this story is now up on my profile, so make sure you check it out, along with the links to the jewellery.**

**() – I'm sorry that you find the religious part of this story a turn off. However, I did say in a previous A.N that I'm a Catholic and it tends to come out in my stories sometimes. It's a small part of this story, and I only put in moments that are suitable. The Bible reading from the previous chapter – regardless sof whether you're religious or not, Catholic or not, is a beautiful piece of writing. And it's incredibly true. Without love, what are we? So I hope that you enjoy the rest of the story. If the religious aspect really puts you off, skip those moments. I'm warning you now, the wedding if it happens, will be in a church with a church service. So you might want to skip that chapter.**

**Peggy – you'll see in this chapter, and Adrian will be in the next one :)**

**Rose – I'll guess you'll find out in this chapter.**

**DXR – I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! :):):)**

**Angela masson – awww thank you! All will be revealed very soon…**

**Clair95 – you'll find out soon!**

**Yanis – lol, you'll see!**

**Thank you so much for the amazing reaction to the last chapter! Here's the one you've all been waiting for…**

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><p>"<em>Roza," Dimitri took my hand in his as he held up a small, black velvet ring box. "I love you, with all my heart, body, mind and soul. I can't imagine being apart from you. Will you, Rosemarie Hathaway, marry me?"<em>

My field of vision narrowed and blurred as Dimitri opened the ring box, to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring I'd ever seen.

It was double banded, with both bands made of gold that shone in the light. At the centre they split to hold a large, circular diamond, and tear drop shaped emerald shards spanned out from the diamond in a semi-circle. The ring itself resembled a flower, with a bud made of diamond and the emerald petals encased in gold.

This ring looked expensive. And old. And precious.

_And Dimitri wanted me to wear it._

_Dimitri wanted me to marry him. To be Mrs. Dimitri Belikov. To be his, really and truly, til death us do part. _

_Mrs. Belikov. _

_Mrs. Dimitri Belikov. _

_Mrs. Rosemarie Belikov._

_Mr and Mrs. Dimitri Belikov._

"Roza?"

I realised I'd been staring into Dimitri's anxious eyes as I babbled on in my head, and held out my trembling left hand.

_Does Dimitri really want me to marry him?_

"Yes."

Shock widened Dimitri's eyes. "Really?"

_Is this really happening?_

I nodded and my voice cracked as tears slowly started to dribble down my cheeks. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you, Dimitri."

Relief flooded his features as he reverently took the ring in between his right forefinger and thumb, held my left hand steady with his left, and slid the stunning ring onto my ring finger.

_Yes Rose, it really is happening._

He took a deep breath and kissed my ring finger softly before he looked up at me, pure happiness shining in his eyes. "Perfect, just like you, my Roza."

_You're getting married to the man of your dreams._

Laptop forgotten, I threw myself forwards into his arms, bear hugging him as my emotions spilled over and I cried and laughed and kissed him all at the same time.

"You really mean it? You really want to marry me?"

He nodded and kissed both of my wet cheeks before he pulled back to stare into my eyes. "I do." Then he grinned brightly. "It feels so good to say that. I do. _I_ _do_. I can't wait to say it with you, in church, in front of all of our friends and family."

More tears dribbled down my cheeks as I kissed him softly. "I love you."

"I l-"

"SHE SAID YES!"

"SHE'S OFFICIALLY BECOMING A BELIKOV!"

Paul and Viktoria yelled in tandem down the hallway, and a second later, we were swamped by our family.

"Really?" Olena's voice was excited. "I'm getting another daughter?"

I sniffled and held my left hand out, so they could all see, to be met with silence.

Yeva was grinning like a fool, Olena was crying softly, and Dimitri's sisters were staring at us in amazement.

Sonya finally managed to choke something out. "You gave her Babushka's ring?"

Dimitri nodded, and grinned, as he twisted my hand so that the emeralds caught the light and sparkled.

I held my breath, and waited for them to speak.

Simultaneously, all three of them broke into ecstatic grins.

"Congratulations-"

"It suits you so well-"

"We're going to finally get to plan a wedding-"

"I get to plan the wedding-"

"I get to pick the dress!"

"I choose the church!"

"I get to decide on the bouquet."

"I get to pick on the colours!"

"Hey! I wanted to do that."

"Tough. I called dibs on it."

Dimitri chuckled and turned my face to meet his. "They'll argue for hours. I don't think it's quite registered in their minds that it's _our_ wedding."

I laughed, and leant my forehead against his. "Let them have their fun for now. I have more pressing concerns on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Like making sure you're serious. Are you sure your brain hasn't just popped from the stress of having your sisters here, bugging the living daylights out of you?"

Dimitri's rough, warm palms cupped my cheeks as he stared into my eyes. "Roza. I. Love. You. I am not crazy, or mad, or psychotic. I haven't smashed my head against a brick wall, and I wasn't dropped on the head too many times, if at all, as a baby. I'm simply a man, and I met you, got to know you, and fell in love with you. I adore you and our family, and I want to make _us_ official. Do you know what emerald stands for?"

I shook my head as a lone tear slipped down my cheek. Dimitri brushed it away softly. "Love."

My breath hitched, and I blinked hard to stop anymore tears from falling. "I still can't believe that you care so much. I love you. Forever. I'll never stop."

He grinned brightly at me. "That's all I can ever ask of you, Roza. And I'll never stop loving you either."

I smiled back and pressed my lips to his firmly. His arms tightened around my waist as I twisted my fingers into the ends of his hair and pulled gently so that his head tilted back and I could deepen the kiss.

Dimitri was my soul mate. My other half. The one who I couldn't live without, and who couldn't live without me.

Dimly, I realised that the sounds of the chatter had died down. Dimitri's arms tightened around my waist, before they loosened as he broke the kiss softly, and leant his forehead against mine. "I love you, but I think that my family actually want to congratulate us this time."

I pressed one last chaste kiss to his mouth, before I buried my face into the crook of his neck and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "I just want to stay in your arm-"

"Tough." Yeva answered for Dimitri as she, Olena and Viktoria yanked me from his arms, while Dimitri was bombarded with questions from Karolina, Sonya and Paul. Hell, even Zoya and Orel were trying to join in; their tiny toddlers' hands tugging at their uncle's trousers as they tried to gain his attention.

Alyssa and Katrina hugged me simultaneously, questions brimming in their eyes.

I laughed, immediately knowing what they wanted to ask. "Yes, you will be my bridesmaids. You can help choose your dresses, and you will both look absolutely beautiful."

Sophia was caught up in the moment, and trying to get through the adults to reach me. I grinned and knelt down so she could run into my arms. "You, my beautiful baby girl, will look beautiful as well."

"Can I help choose my dress too?"

I nodded and kissed the top of her head. "Of course. Why don't you go and ask your daddy too?"

Excitement filled her features as she wriggled for me to put her down.

"STOP!"

Every single person in the room froze, and turned to face the doorway.

Tom was stood there, with his hands on his hips and an unhappy frown plastered to his face.

He seemed to grow as he marched over to Dimitri and glared up at him. Oh boy.

"T-"

Dimitri was cut off by Tom punching him in the knee, and then bursting into tears.

"You didn't ask my permission to marry my mummy."

Pain covered Dimitri's features as he clutched at his knee cap and tried to reach for Tom at the same time. "I think we need to talk, Tom." Tom sniffled and nodded as he rubbed at his hand. "And get you some ice for your hand so it stops hurting?"

"Yes please."

Together they walked – or in Dimitri's case, hobbled – into the kitchen together, the sound of their chatter drifting down the hallway.

"That's enough drama. Alyssa, Katrina, you're in charge of the younger kids until your dad comes back in, or we come downstairs." Yeva took charge once again, and I was frogmarched upstairs by the entire Belikov clan.

"What are we doing, exactly?"

"Planning your wedding."

* * *

><p>I smiled as I shut my eyes and let the hot water from the shower run over my skin.<p>

Today had been a blur once Dimitri proposed. His family had dragged me upstairs and pulled me into our bedroom, to prepare me for 'what being a Belikov entailed'. I was given a long lecture by Yeva on their family history, and then quizzed by Olena. Viktoria had taken Dimitri's laptop and started searching various bridal shop websites to find my dress, whilst Karolina and Sonya peppered me with questions about what colours I wanted.

Half of my opinions were shot down and flat out refused as they began to repeat their earlier conversation and argue over who was planning which aspect of our wedding day and honeymoon.

After three hours, I had a headache, was hungry and was tired.

My attempts to get them to quieten down hadn't worked, if anything they'd gotten louder, and so I'd yelled at the top of my lungs.

"_Everybody shut up!"_

_Silence fell across the room as its inhabitants stared at me with wide eyes._

"_This is mine and Dimitri's wedding. I'm sorry Karolina and Sonya, but that means that _we_ make the decisions. We know how much money we have and how much we can afford to spend, so we'll choose the church and the reception hall and the colour scheme. Viktoria, I appreciate your opinion, but you need to let me at least think about what style of dress I'd like before you start planning and designing it. Certain styles don't and won't fit or suit me. Certain colours don't suit me." I met the eyes of everyone in the room before I continued. "Dimitri and I need to do this on our own, but with your support. It's another part of our life together, and we need to handle it. We can't do it without your help, but we can't do it if you help too much. So please, take a deep breath and a step back."_

_They all nodded mutely, and then Yeva burst into laughter. Rich, throaty chuckles left her mouth as she bent at the waist and laughed hard._

"_Good for you, Roza. I've been waiting for the day when Dimka or any of my grandchildren would find someone with the guts to defend themselves and their relationship." Her chocolate brown eyes twinkled with humour. "You are truly a brilliant addition to this family."_

Yeva's blessing of our relationship let me know that I'd done the right thing.

A strong pair of hands joined mine as I started to massage the conditioner into my hair, and I smiled as I leant back into Dimitri's body.

"Hey." My eyes fluttered open as I spoke, and I tilted my head back to find Dimitri smiling down at me.

"Hey, Mrs-soon-to-be-Belikov."

I giggled and pulled his hands free from my hair so I could turn to face him. "That sounds good. It has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?"

His smile widened, and he leant down to kiss me softly. "It does. Roza Belikova."

"Maybe you should become Dimitri Hathaway?" I wrinkled my nose as I tested the words out. "Never mind. It doesn't sound as good."

"I wouldn't mind becoming Mr. Hathaway."

I snorted. "Don't let your sisters hear you saying that. They think you're whipped enough as it is." He chuckled softly, and I pulled his face down to mine. "Are you sure you're not having any second thoughts?"

"Roza," His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled my body flush against his. "I will never, ever grow tired of you. I will not get cold feet, and I won't have any second thoughts. Okay?"

"Okay." I nodded and leant forwards so that my lips could press against his.

"In fact," His hands tightened on my waist, and lifted my body into the air so that my back could rest against the wall. My legs wrapped around his waist and the cool tiles pressed into my back as Dimitri kissed me softly. "I think I should show you."

* * *

><p>I let out a small moan as Dimitri entered me fully, and pulled back out again. My fingers clutched at the corded muscles of his back as I tried to pull him closer to me, but he continued to move his hips further away before pushing into me at an agonisingly slow pace.<p>

"I want to feel you, Roza. I don't want to rush this time."

His eyes, soft with emotion, met mine and I nodded breathlessly as my lips sought his out. There was a different kind of intensity in our lovemaking as we slowly rocked and rotated our hips against each other.

Right now, we were joined by our bodies, and soon, we'd be bound together by love. The ring on my finger was proof of the fact that we were both ready to prove our commitment and dedication to each other.

"It's just that it's been so long."

My head fell to the side to rest in the crook of his neck as his hold tightened around my hips. We hadn't been together, intimately, for the whole two weeks while his family were here. All of the bedrooms were used, and whenever we had a moment to ourselves in any of the rooms downstairs, someone tended to come in and spoil the moment.

"I know, Roza. But let's make this last."

I panted as his hips rocked against mine once again and let my fingers curl into the ends of his hair.

"Just don't stop."

"I won't."

His fingers tilted my face up and his lips met mine tenderly as the speed of his thrusts increased ever so slightly.

_Knock. Knock._

The bathroom door opened and we both froze.

"Sorry, Rose. I just need to wash my hands; I'll only be a minute."

"Okay." I swallowed a moan as Viktoria moved towards the sink and Dimitri rested his head against my shoulder. His chest heaved as he caught his breath, and my voice faltered.

Luckily for us, the shower curtain was black, which meant Viktoria couldn't see that I wasn't alone. Unluckily for us, she decided to hang around and chat a little.

"Are you excited? We couldn't believe it when Dimka rang and said that he was going to propose to you when we came over. I mean, he just never seemed like the type to settle down…"

I bit my lip to hold in a moan when Dimitri stood up straight to stretch his legs out, the movement only causing him to slide even further into me as Viktoria continued talking.

"…but we're all so glad that he chose you, Roza. You're beautiful, and you've got such a good heart, and your children are all brilliant. You can tell that they've been brought up, not dragged up."

A whimper left my mouth as Dimitri grinned wickedly, and rocked his hips against mine sharply as he kissed my neck.

"…Rose? Are you ok? W-"

My body trembled around Dimitri's as he pulled back and slammed into me once again… right as the shower curtain was suddenly pulled back and Viktoria's voice cut off into a strangled scream as she took in the sight before her.

"Why the hell is Dimitri in there with you?"

Heat flooded my face as Dimitri turned so that my body was hidden from Viktoria's line of sight. "Shut the curtain and get out, Vika! Who goes around peeking at people when they're showering?"

"That's so disgusting. We all have to use that shower!"

The bathroom door slammed shut and Dimitri stared down at me as we waited in silence to see if anyone else would come bursting in.

Finally, Dimitri sighed and lowered me to the floor. "She's probably screeching about it downstairs, which means we'll have to do the walk of shame before we go to bed."

My cheeks flushed again at the thought of Olena and all of Dimitri's family knowing about what we were doing, and Dimitri pulled me into his arms. "Don't worry, Roza." He turned me around, and directed me back under the spray so I could rinse the conditioner out of my hair. "I don't know why she was so shocked. We're getting married. What did she think we're going to do on our honeymoon?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "What exactly do _you_ think we're going to do on our honeymoon?"

A naughty grin lit up his face as he took a step closer to me and knelt down gracefully.

"A lot of what we were doing before." He pressed kiss to my stomach. "And a lot of what we did on my birthday." His lips kissed both of my thighs softly. "And a lot of what we did on your birthday." My breath caught as he pushed my legs apart and lifted my foot so that it rested on his shoulder. "And even more of what we did on the night and morning that we got back together…"

* * *

><p>I grinned into Dimitri's chest as Viktoria threw us a dirty glare before she flicked the light off and climbed into my sofa bed.<p>

We hadn't had to do 'the walk of shame', but Viktoria had shuddered whenever she'd made eye contact with her brother, and had refused to sit anywhere near us for the remainder of the night.

Dimitri chuckled as he kissed the top of my head and pulled me into his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Both of you, shut up."

We laughed at Viktoria's sour tone, before I focussed my attention on Dimitri."

"I did some research. For the wedding."

"About what?" His fingers traced lazy circles on my lower back as I wriggled even closer to him so that I could rest my head on his chest.

"About getting married in a church." I swallowed. "A Catholic church."

As I expected, Dimitri frowned. "We can't get married in church, because you've been married before."

I grinned. "I know. But," I tilted his face down to mine so he could see the seriousness of my words. "Apparently, my marriage to Adrian could be invalid because he wasn't a Catholic when we got married, and as far as I know, he still isn't. But you are, and I am. So technically speaking, we could get married in a church. The only downside is that the process of getting an annulment could take up to a year."

Dimitri's eyes stared back into mine and he nodded. "I already said that I won't get cold feet. I'll wait for as long as it takes, Roza."


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six.**

**A.N. **Lol, Viktoria is not a perv, insane or mentally challenged! :D I don't think I conveyed her very well at the end of the last chapter; she was simply worried because Rose wasn't answering any of her questions/comments. That's why she pulled back the curtain, to check that Rose was okay. Not to catch a sneaky glimpse or anything like that! :D

**Also, please note: **For the purposes of this story, the annulment of Rose and Adrian's marriage is going to happen pretty quickly. I'm not going to make the process take a year or more.

**Claire95 – trust your intuition!**

**Sarah Ozera – I'm glad that you liked it!**

**DXR – **_**Everything**_** you said I agree with! :D**

**Jbowencox – thank you, and I hope you like it! xx**

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

"…Rose, you ugly slag. Give me my fucking daughter back." Adrian hiccupped and slurred another load of drunken expletives down the phone.

"Adrian, you're drunk. I'm not talking to you when you're like this. Goodbye."

My tone of voice was stern as I hung up and put the phone back into the handset. He'd been doing this for the past two weeks, calling me at all sorts of crazy hours to either demand that we returned Katrina, or to hurl abuse at me through the phone, and I was close to reaching my breaking point.

It had started on the night that I deliberately waited for Camille in the playground after picking up Tom. I didn't want Adrian knowing where I was living, and so had handed her a letter to pass on, informing him that I was applying for an annulment, and that there was a high chance he'd be contacted in order for it to go through. I hadn't expected Camille to give him the letter, but she had, and that night he'd been cruel and malicious with his words.

Having Dimitri by my side helped, but it had still stung to hear Adrian tell me that I was an ugly, easy lay, and that it didn't matter whether we annulled the marriage or not, because Dimitri would soon realise what a waste of space I was.

Dimitri had pulled the phone from my hands, hung up and then kissed me hard. In that moment, I needed physical reassurance that he wasn't going to turn his back on me, and he made sure I got it. As he gently removed both of our clothes, he whispered sweet snippets of the memories we'd built up together.

As we'd moved against each other, he'd held me close and kissed away my fears.

And in the afterglow, he'd looked me straight in the eye, and said his wedding vows before he pulled me in tightly to his chest and promised me over and over again, that he couldn't wait to become 'Mr. Hathaway', lulling me into sleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

><p>After the first few phone calls, Dimitri had gone out and bought us a brand new house phone, with a special recording feature. So far, we had about ten various nuisance calls from Adrian, along with a written diary of the day and times that he'd called.<p>

It had been three months since Dimitri had proposed, and at times it seemed like we were living in a mad house. We spoke to his family every week, to discuss any new plans and ideas. We were budgeting every single aspect of our lives, to save as much money as quickly as possible, and we were working as much as possible, whilst still being there for the kids.

The annulment was going to cost us close to two hundred pounds, but the prices varied with each tribunal. We were lucky that we weren't being charged over four hundred like other tribunals charged. The annulment process itself had been going pretty well. I'd gone to the church where Adrian and I had had our wedding, and discussed my options with the parish priest. He'd found our marriage record, and after talking through everything, he'd confirmed that our marriage could be considered invalid for several reasons. Adrian hadn't been, and still wasn't a Catholic, and he hadn't had the intention to marry me for life, be faithful to me and be open to children'. He didn't accept our children, and I know that if I hadn't been firm in my decision to go through with my first pregnancy, regardless of whether he stayed with me or not, he would have pushed me into having an abortion.

To start off the process I'd had to submit a written testimony, and a list of people who were familiar with the marriage. As far as I knew, the only people who knew about it were Adrian, Camille, Adrian's two friends who'd been witnesses at our wedding and myself. I didn't know where his friends now lived, or if they were even still alive, but had written their names down and left it down to the priest to contact them if the need arose. I highly doubted that they'd be willing to answer any questions about me or my marriage to Adrian, but I pushed those niggling worries out of my mind.

As expected, the tribunal panel had contacted Adrian, and surprisingly, he'd co-operated with them. Apparently he just wanted what was 'best for both parties', and to move on with his life. I didn't doubt that he wanted me out of his hair permanently, but I knew better than to believe that he wanted what was best for me, or my kids.

We'd recently been to another tribunal session, where the churches representative had tried to argue for the validity of the marriage. But from the murmurings of the tribunal, it seemed that both mine and Adrian's church advocates, who represented us in front of the tribunal, might have done a pretty good job of arguing our case.

After the tribunal announced their decision, it would still have to be reviewed by a second, different tribunal. However, if the first tribunal agreed that our marriage was invalid, I hoped that it would incline the second tribunal into agreeing with their verdict slightly more as well.

If all went well, and the process remained moving at such a speedy pace, I'd be free to marry Dimitri within another six months.

* * *

><p>The Saturday morning post had just arrived, and as usual, was filled with bills.<p>

I sighed as I opened them, not even bothering to look at who'd sent each one. They all had the same greedy demands for money.

"DIMITRI!"

There was a loud thump and a muttered string of curses from the kitchen for a moment before my fiancé burst into the hallway, wide-eyed and alert.

"What? What happened?"

I shrieked again and waved the bright white sheet of paper around as I stared at him in shock.

"They said yes."

"They? Who said yes, Roza?"

"They said yes. The tribunal. We have to go to an official meeting, but here's the letter that states it in black and white. It's official."

His jaw dropped, before his face split into a wide grin as he pulled me into his arms to swing me around the hallway.

"It's really done? We can set a date for the wedding?"

I nodded and kissed him fiercely before I pulled back. "Yes."

Dimitri laughed happily and leant in for another kiss before he rested his forehead against mine.

"I love you."

"I love you too." An errant thought popped into my head, and I loosened my hold around his neck so that he'd put me back down on the floor. "We have to tell your family!"

* * *

><p>Olena and the rest of the Belikov's had been ecstatic with the news, and had hung up excitedly once the conversation had finished, as they babbled to each other in rapid Russian about the cost of flights and new clothes.<p>

"Have you thought of a date?" Dimitri's voice was a low murmur in my ear as he kissed my cheek.

_Yes, amongst other things._

"I have." I smiled as I turned to look at him. "Have you?"

"A few, but they're all the clichéd ones, like Valentine's Day. I want our day to be special."

I grinned and kissed his chin. "The one I've thought of, though clichéd, will be special to us." His brows wrinkled as he tried to work out what I was hinting at. The day that we met at night school. September the twenty-sixth."

His eyes widened. That's barely six months, Roza."

"I know. But we've been saving for the best part of a year, and the dress that I've seen isn't 'designer', so it's not as expensive as they can be. We've got quite a lot of money saved up, and we don't need to book a reception hall that's massive and costly, because we don't really have that many people to invite."

_Only if you keep chickening out._

He stared at me for a long minute before he nodded and grinned. "If things get tight, I can always bump up the rent on the flat."

My eyes widened at his deviousness, before I burst out laughing. "That's so cheeky. For your tenants' sake, I think we'll manage."

"We need to write a guest list."

"We have to do something else first."

_It's now or never, Rose!_

I took a deep breath "Let's do it."

A wolfish grin popped up onto Dimitri's face as he started to undo his shirt buttons. "Okay."

"Not _that_." I giggled and reached out to hold his hands still.

"Then do what?" Dimitri looked confused, and interested.

"Go and see Lissa. I can't get married –again- to the love of my life, without my best friend there. Let's get the kids, and go right now."

"Wait- shouldn't you try to find out where she is first? Then write to her or call her, before you just randomly show up?"

I shook my head. "If we don't pack an overnight bag and leave before I see sense, I know that I'll never have the guts to go and try to see her again. Please, Dimitri?"

"Okay. You tell the kids, and I'll get the car sorted."

* * *

><p>"Is this it?" Dimitri's voice was awed as we pulled up beside the three storey townhouse. "It's… impressive for someone so young."<p>

I laughed. "Lissa's parents are rich. Like super rich. Her dad's a local MP, and her mum is a highly ranked doctor. They earn _tons_. This is their house. If they remember me, and don't hate me, I think they might tell me Lissa's address."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I looked into the back of the car, and had to bite back a laugh. All of the kids were fast asleep and sprawled out in their seats.

"I think it'd be better if you stayed here in case they wake up." I leant in and kissed him softly. "I'll be okay."

He smiled and tenderly brushed the hair out of my face. "Okay. Wave if you need me."

"I will do. I love you."

"I love you too." He grinned and kissed me again before I got out of the car.

My heart thumped wildly in my chest as I stepped up onto the doorstep, and pressed the bell. Somewhere in the house, it rang shrilly for a few moments, before the sound died out.

"I've got it!" A woman's voice echoed from somewhere inside, and my stomach twisted.

_This was it. No turning back._

The door swung open, and my jaw dropped.

My best friend was stood in front of me and seemingly hadn't aged a day. She had the same slim, model like figure, the same poker straight, shiny, platinum blonde, shoulder length hair, the exact same peaches and cream complexion, and the same huge, jade green eyes that seemed to sparkle. The only give away to her age, were the almost invisible laughter lines around her eyes, and the glittering engagement ring, and shiny gold wedding ring that adorned the fourth finger of her left hand.

"Lissa?"

The woman inside stared at me for a moment, and then gasped as recognition dawned across her face.

"Rose? Is that- is that really you?"

My throat closed up as I nodded. "It's me. Surprise." My smile was watery, and my voice hoarse as I waved, somewhat meekly.

"ROSE!"

Lissa's voice was a shriek as she lunged forwards, wrapping her arms around my neck as tightly as possible while she buried her face in my hair. "It's you! It really is you. Thank God. You're really here."

Heavy tears trickled down my cheeks as I hugged her back fiercely and I nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I didn't keep in touch. I'm a horrible friend, and- and- I'm just so happy to see you again and that you don't hate me."

"Of course I don't hate you." Her lower lips trembled as she stared at me as though I was going to disappear at any second. "You're my best friend. I missed you, and then I couldn't get in touch with you and I got so worried-" Her voice cut off as a small sob escaped.

"I'm sorry, Liss."

"It's okay. Just- just-" She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "Don't do it again."

"I won't, I promise." I hiccupped and we both laughed before hugging each other and bursting into tears again.

We were both bawling like a pair of babies when another voice sounded from inside the house.

"Lissa? Honey? Who's at the door?"

We both sniffled, and then wiped at our soaked cheeks before turning to face… "_Christian_?" My jaw dropped for the second time that day.

Lissa grinned and then motioned towards the guy standing in the doorway. "Rose, you remember Christian Ozera? From sixth form?"

I nodded. Yep, it was him alright. Same jet black hair, and ice-blue eyes, as well as the tall, spindly build that had caught Lissa's interest back in college.

Speaking of which, she'd released me, and moved towards him. I watched in shock as she curled up against his side, and he kissed the top of her head affectionately before he lifted his left hand to run it through her hair. Something on his hand shone in the afternoon sunlight.

"You _married_ Christian?"

It was like the years hadn't passed between us. My voice was scandalised as my eyes flickered between them, while Lissa's clouded over in adoration.

"Yeah." Her voice was dreamy as she stared up at him, and she blushed when his gaze met her own.

"Seriously, Lissa? _Christian_ _Ozera_? Christian, the loner who used to listen to emo music all the time? The one who you were crushing on for the entire two years of sixth form? _That_ Christian Ozera?"

She nodded happily and I gaped. "Gosh, Liss. And I thought that the only way you could go was up."

She rolled her eyes at me, but still nuzzled even closer to Christian as he smirked at me.

"Jealous because you missed your chance, Hathaway?"

I snorted. "Please. I've moved onto better, and what I'm sure are _bigger_ things."

Lissa giggled at the underlying meaning behind my words, but then what I'd actually said registered in her mind. "What do you mean you've moved on? Where are Adrian and my niece?" I swallowed as her eyes focussed on the car. "That's not Adrian. That hottie-"

Christian coughed and Lissa blushed.

I breathed in deeply before I turned and waved at Dimitri. He nodded back and I watched as he checked on the kids before he opened the car door and got out.

Lissa gasped, and even Christian let out a low whistle as Dimitri unfolded his long body from the cramped confines of the car and stretched before making his way over to where we stood.

"Damn, Rose. He's, he's- Christian, cover your ears." Christian raised his eyebrows at his wife's demand, but did as she said. "He's _sex on legs!_ Where the hell did you find _him_?" Her gaze turned hungry as he walked up to us and I giggled.

Lissa poked Christian as Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist. "You need to start working out."

"What? Just because Rose got some muscle man? Babe, you always said you loved my shape!"

"Yeah, that was until I saw what I've been missing out on. Tomorrow, you're signing up for boxing lessons, and weightlifting sessions, and anything else that'll build those muscles of yours."

I laughed, and Christian shot me a sour look.

"Liss, Christian, I'd like to introduce my fiancé. Dimitri Belikov."

Dimitri smiled and held out his hand. "Pleased to meet-"

"_Fiancé_!" Lissa's voice was a shriek as she grabbed my left hand and held it up to the fading sunlight, causing the gems to sparkle. "We have so much to catch up on. And a wedding to plan!"

I was towed over the threshold of the door by my best friend.

"Liss, wait. The kids-"

She stopped short and turned on her heel to stare at me, her jade green eyes piercing into mine. "_Kids_? As in, plural?"

I nodded.

"You are in so much shit, Rosemarie Hathaway!"

I laughed. I couldn't help it. Lissa never swore, and when she did, it was such a contrast to her innocent 'girl next door vibe' that the effect was hilarious.

"It's not funny!"

I laughed harder, and she dragged me into the house after glaring at her husband. "Dimitri, give Christian your car keys. He can get the kids. He needs to build up the muscle!"

Christian's voice paled at his wife's orders as Dimitri shrugged and handed over the keys.

"You married her."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, so I kinda messed up the timeline for this story. :( If it's worked out properly, they've been together for just under three years. Ages (In case anyone was confused like I was, lol.) Sophia is 6. Tom is 8, Alyssa and Katrina are 13. Rose, Lissa and Christian are 31 and Dimitri is 38.<strong>


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven.**

**DXR – Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed reading the chapter, and that's very true! Poor Christian… And get your mind out of the gutter – again – missy! Lol ;D And I'm very happy to hear that you like this Lissa!  
><strong>

**Yanis – Thanks sweetie. Lol, I think you'll enjoy reading Lissa's reaction…**

**clair95 – It definitely is! :):):) I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Ludka 0 Thank you so much! He definitely will, and as for Rose's parents… you'll see… And I'm glad you liked Lissa too :)**

**Alana – Thanks sweetie! I hope you'll find this one just as good!**

* * *

><p>Lissa was seething.<p>

As I'd told her my story and explained the reasoning behind my absence her face had changed from mock annoyance, to interest, to horror, to pure unadulterated anger.

"That- that- that-"

Knowing the outburst that was coming, both Christian and I tried to calm her down. "Liss, it's really okay. I have Dimitri now and-"

"That _bastard_! How _dare_ he do that to you! After everything you did for him? Gave up for him? You haven't seen me or any of your family for close to twelve years because of what he did to you!" She jumped up and started pacing. "He got you pregnant, ruined your planned future and then starts beating you? And then, he divorces you and leaves you destitute? Christian," Lissa spun around to stare at her husband. "Where's your gun?"

"Whoa, whoa. Liss. There's no need to- Christian has a gun?"

She nodded eagerly. "We kept getting broken into. It took a long while, and he had to do a lot of training, but he was finally allowed one. Though with all the crazy lawyers out there, he can't really use it anyway. If someone broke in with a- a- I don't know, a chainsaw or something, threatened to stab me and tried to harm me, and Christian shot them, _he_ would most likely end up going to jail, for injuring the robber. Either way, it doesn't matter." She resumed her pacing, then stopped and looked at me, determination flashing in her jade green eyes. "I'm going to shoot that son of a bitch up his goddamned ass and make him regret the day he was born. No one messes with my best friend and gets away with it. I'll- I'll-" She was getting flustered again, and a quick glance at Dimitri's face made me giggle. His eyes were wide with alarm.

"And that bitch Camille. I'll slap her until her cheeks fall off! Who does she think she is? Going and stealing away a married man? The home wrecking whore-"

"Liss? Calm down. I think you've used up your swear quota for the next five years."

"It just makes me so _mad_! I mean, the flaming cheek of it all!"

"I know, Liss. But it's on the past. Like I said, I have Dimitri now, and Katrina. Our family's complete. It's okay-"

"It is _not_ okay unless you report that idiot!"

"I can't report him, Lissa. He hasn't done anything to me recently, except for the nuisance calls. If I ever get any solid proof or reasoning to get his ass thrown in jail, I'll take that chance. For now, let's just calm down. Please." I laughed. "I don't think this was what Dimitri was expecting after everything I told him about you."

That calmed her down. She smiled meekly at Dimitri as she tucked her hair back into place and smoothed the creases out of her jumper. "Sorry, Dimitri. I'm not normally that… hyper, but… I don't even know how to explain it. Back in college, Adrian seemed like the perfect boyfriend. To hear the things he's done to Rose… it's awful. Thank you for being there for my best friend when I wasn't."

Dimitri smiled kindly at her and shook his head. "It wasn't your fault Lissa. I'm just glad that you're a part of each other's lives again."

She grinned at him, but then her eyes narrowed as she took a few steps forwards. "And if you try any stunts like Adrian did, Rose will tell me and I will hunt you down. Your death will be painful and slow and I'll make you regret every moment you ever lived. I'll make sure not even your own mother could recognise you-"

"Lissa!"

"What?" Her eyes were wide and innocent as she met my shocked ones. "I'm just looking out for you, and stating the consequences." She smiled angelically and then turned back to Dimitri. "I'll cut off your d-"

"Lissa!" Christian interrupted this time, his face pale at his wife's slashing motions.

Lissa continued as though she hadn't heard him. "I'll make sure you and Rose can't have any more children. Ever."

There were a few moments of shocked silence as the three of us stared at Lissa, who'd sat down, cuddled up to Christian and sipped at her tea calmly, as though we'd been talking about the weather, not cutting off bits of men's anatomy.

"So, Liss… I noticed, you've got the ring on your finger, but I've not heard the pitter-patter of any tiny feet."

The change in hers and Christian's demeanour was startling. Their faces tightened, their shoulders tensed and the room became jack knifed with tension.

"No," Lissa's voice was sad and hollow. "No kids. Just us."

Tact wasn't one of my strong points. "But… why? You always wanted a big family, Liss."

A small tear slipped out of the corner of her eyes, and Christian wiped it away as he pulled her slim body into his arms.

"We- I can't. I have PCOS. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. We've been trying for a baby for years, but…" She shrugged. "As you can see, it hasn't happened. I-" She flushed slightly as her gaze fell on Dimitri, and her voice lowered, as if that would stop him from hearing what she was about to say next. "I only menstruate a few times a year, rather than every month, so my chances of conceiving are slim to none." I started to comment, but she cut me off. "No, Rose. There isn't anything you can do." Her voice trembled, and my heart ached for my best friend. "I- I got pregnant once… and then I miscarried. It's more common in women who have my condition. Since then, I haven't fallen pregnant again. And, I don't think I really want to. I can't go through that again."

"What exactly is PCOS?"

"You remember our a-level biology lessons? Where we did the menstrual cycle and hormones and ovulation?"

I nodded. "And then we were split into groups and had to do that horrific presentation on it, step by step."

A smile twitched at the corners of her lips. "Yeah. Basically, that doesn't happen to me. It's a lot more complicated than the way I'm about to explain it, but I'll tell you the basics. It mainly affects my ovaries. They're larger than most women's, and the follicles, or eggs are also larger and more spread out. My eggs rarely mature, and so, I don't ovulate as often as you do. That's the bare bones of it. I can't remember the rest of what the doctor said."

My eyes widened as the reality of Lissa's situation hit me. She was being denied the one thing she wanted most, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. I was struggling to fully understand the fact that my best friend couldn't have children, while I'd gone ahead and had four without a second thought.

"Can't you have it treated or- or take something for it?"

She shook her head, and a wry smile twisted her mouth. "It's not something like the chickenpox, Rose. I can't take some medicine and rest up, and get over it. There are treatments available, but, for me, the risks outweigh the benefits. And it's not a sure thing that I'd have any benefits. If I used the medication, I'd want to take it to increase my chances of conceiving, not to increase the amount of times I menstruate. That hurts too much. I don't know how you can bear to go through it each month."

I grimaced. "Neither do I. But, there must be something you can d-"

"Mummy?"

Sophia's confused voice drifted down the hallway and interrupted my train of thought.

Footsteps sounded above our heads as Tom joined in calling out for me and Dimitri.

I smiled apologetically and stood up. "I think I better go get them before they start to panic."

Lissa's eyes sparkled and she jumped out of Christian's embrace. "I'll come with you! I have yet to be formally introduced to my Goddaughter Alyssa, and up until a few hours ago, I didn't even know that Katrina, Tom and Sophia existed."

I grinned and linked my arm with hers. "I think it's time they met their Auntie Lissa, and Alyssa has been wishing to meet her namesake ever since she was old enough to talk."

Lissa laughed and pulled me towards the stairs eagerly. "Then what are we waiting for?"

* * *

><p>Alyssa had been thrilled to meet her namesake, and had been glued to Lissa's side the entire evening. Lissa had been ecstatic that the kids liked her, and had happily dragged Alyssa and Katrina up to her bedroom for makeovers and to play dress up in her designer clothes, while Sophia and Tom had been engrossed in an important conversation with Christian. Whenever Dimitri or I tried to go over, they'd all fall silent and shoo us away.<p>

Which left Dimitri and I sat in the kitchen, with a table full of Lissa's bridal and wedding magazines, as well as pages full of her perfectly drawn out notes and tips on every single aspect you could think of. The cake, photographer, dress designers, bridesmaids dress designers, bouquets, tuxedos, suits, churches, invitations, gifts, honeymoon, stag night and hen do, reception hall, colour charts…. It was all in there.

Names, numbers, websites and addresses for every single business under the sun.

Filed away alphabetically in one huge folder.

Dimitri had tried to protest, but I stopped him with a look. "Trust me, when it comes down to events, Lissa is the go to girl. She knows everything, and everyone. And she's stubborn as hell when she wants to be. This," I gestured to the glossy magazines and stacks of paper scattered across the table top. "Is an argument that you won't win. Trust me. Don't even try. Just grin and bear it good naturedly. And then, once she's satisfied, you can make alterations, little by little."

He frowned, but took my advice and slumped back down with a sigh as he began to rifle though yet another set of notes – this time on colour coordinating.

"What about a theme?.."

* * *

><p>We had a late dinner that night, but it was one that was filled with laughter and chatter, as well as moments of reflection as we reminisced about the past.<p>

"Rose." Lissa's voice was soft, as though she was trying to prepare me for something she knew I wasn't going to like. "Now that you've seen me, you know there's something else you've got to do."

I sighed and stared down at my meal, pushing my food around on my plate. "I know. But, I'm scared to, Liss. More scared than I was to face you."

Under the table, Dimitri squeezed my hand gently.

"I know you are, Rose. But you have to face them sometime. They've not heard from you for fourteen years. I know how bad they were to you, but you can't not see them, especially when they're not even fifteen minutes down the road. Five by car."

"I know." My voice was resigned, and Dimitri lifted my hand up to his lips to press a kiss my knuckles. The gesture reminded me of our first day in class, and a goofy smile popped up on my face as I grinned.

Christian coughed, not so subtly, and I turned, to see Lissa watching our little exchange with avid interest.

"You never told me how you two met."

"You never told me how you and Sparky got together." I shot back.

Christian interrupted her answer. "How did I get that ridiculous nickname?"

I grinned. "Back in college, when Lissa was mooning over you from afar, I could never work out the attraction. And when I asked her, she said you 'just had this… spark.' I said she needed glasses. Yet here we are, fourteen years later, and you're married to each other."

Christian glanced at Lissa, his eyes softening as they landed on her slender form as she talked about which Disney Princess was best with Sophia.

"Yeah, we are. And I'm incredibly lucky."

"Christian," I hesitated. This was a part of their life that I'd missed out on through my own foolishness. "Never mind."

"How did we meet?" Lissa had a smile in her voice. "I'm your best friend, Rose. Time hasn't changed that. I know how you think." She scooted her chair slightly closer to Christians, and he took her hand in his. "You know when we all left for university; I did my first degree in America?" I nodded. "Well, I didn't really like it. I was studying law at Harvard, so I could follow in my dad's footsteps, and even though I got good grades, I could tell it wasn't for me. I wanted to help people; people who I knew deserved and needed it. So during the weekends I worked at a rescue shelter, and then, during the holidays, I was a counsellor at a camp for 'delinquents'. And that's where I met Christian."

I snorted. "I told you he was trouble, Liss. Never go for the bad boys, trust me, I should know."

She giggled. "Christian wasn't one of the delinquents." She glanced at him and leant in to place a chaste kiss to his lips. "Though you should have been, with all the naughty things you taught m-"

"If you finish that sentence I think I'll throw up. That's gross, Lissa. I don't care how in love you two are. That's disgusting, talking about that sort of thing at the dinner table."

"Like you haven't done worse!" Her gaze flickered pointedly to Dimitri, and I flushed. "Exactly. But back to the story. Christian was travelling during the summer holidays, and in the summer, he ended up in America, at the camp I was working at, as a counsellor too. A grief counsellor."

The table fell silent then. We all remembered what had happened shortly after our GCSE's. Christian's mother had gone crazy, and stabbed his father to death, before killing herself. The news had rocked the school, and turned almost everyone against him. He'd been labelled as unstable, and a freak, because of what had happened to his parents. He'd struggled through the rumours and the shuns, to get one of the highest sets of A-level results in the city. He'd proved that he wasn't crazy or stupid, and showed up a lot of his bullies.

Lissa broke the sad silence. "He knew what some of the kids were going through, and how they'd been feeling. And without people constantly breathing down our necks if we so much as looked at each other, we clicked. I knew he was the one for me from our first date a week later, and we haven't looked back since. Christian moved back here wile I finished up my degree, and as soon as I came back, he proposed. Right in the airport, in front of my mum, dad and Andre. We got married a year later, and that's about it. We've been married for nine years now. It's our tenth wedding anniversary next June."

I smiled happily. "That's amazing, Liss. How are your parents and Andre?"

"They're good. Dad retired a couple years ago, and mum's working part time. She hosts a lot of charity dinners and things nowadays. Now that we're back in contact, you'll probably get invited non-stop. They gave us this house as a wedding present, and moved into a five bedroom one on the other side of town, to give us our space. They also have a townhouse in London, but they're thinking of selling it since dad doesn't need to travel into London to work anymore. Andre finally stopped messing around, and got his business degree. With dad's expertise and contacts, he's moved pretty far up the ladder. I think it's boring, but he enjoys it. He still hasn't settled down though."

I laughed. "He's never been the type of guy to settle down though. Every woman he meets is 'The One', until the next one comes along."

Lissa giggled and nodded, but then her gaze focused on mine. "Don't think you're off the hook. I want to know every single detail about your relationship. Except the sex stuff. That's not to be spoken about at the dinner table or when little ears are about."

I rolled my eyes. "I met Dimitri at night school. We ended up sitting at the same desk, and I was really shy."

Dimitri chuckled. "You were hiding your naughtiness."

"Not back then. Back then I was terrified that every guy was like Adrian…" At his disbelieving snort I giggled. "Okay, there was a little naughtiness. But, we started off as desk partners, and then we became friends. And we just… clicked. And things grew from there. I was living with the kids in a shitty one bedroom flat, and the washing machine broke and flooded the kitchen. Dimitri was my superman. He came over with bags full of food shopping, and fresh towels, and his toolbox. He fixed my washing machine, and in return, I cooked him dinner. And then he stayed over, but nothing happened. We just spent a nice night together. And we went on a date, and I freaked out. But we fixed it. We solved our argument, and there was no shouting or violence involved. Our relationship progressed so slowly, but it was still so intimate and special, before we took _that_ step."

Lissa's eyes glistened with happy tears as I took a sip of my water and continued. "Dimitri completely changed my view on life, and love. We went to London as a family trip for my birthday, and he cooked up a plan with my work colleague, but I made a wrong assumption and yelled at him. Once it was all cleared up she looked after the kids, dressed me up and then lent her car to Dimitri so he could drive us to The Ritz for my birthday meal." Lissa's eyes widened as she gaped at Dimitri. "That's not all." Her eyes flickered back to mine. "He'd booked us a room. It was amazing, Liss. Luxury beyond my wildest dreams. And it was so romantic." I sighed happily as I remembered that night. "There were tea lights everywhere, and a scented bubble bath, and flower petals sprinkled in a path leading from the lift all the way to our bed. And a huge bouquet of fifty roses, in specific colours, chosen specially for their meanings. And that night, after I freaked out after he told me that he loved me, I said it back."

Dimitri took over to let me rest my throat. "Once Katrina joined our little family, we traded in my car for the seven seater you saw earlier. And like any relationship, we cracked under the pressure." He shrugged, but reached out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "But we found our way back to each other again."

I grinned. "We did. And then I met Dimitri's family over Skype, and they came over for the Christmas holidays. Two days after Christmas, Dimitri proposed."

I held out my left hand, and Lissa squealed excitedly. "How did he do it?"

"Have you ever heard of the 'Love Gives Me Hope' website?" Lissa nodded, and her jaw dropped as the pieces clicked together in her head. "He got me to read the Bible with him, the passage that I always wanted at my wedding."

"One Corinthians Thirteen." Lissa murmured.

I nodded. "Yep. And then, he showed me the LGMH website and got me to read through them while he played Jessie J's Casualty of Love." My smile was so wide it was starting to hurt, but I didn't care. "And then I came across his submission. It was so sweet, and beautiful, and I thought he was joking. I turned around to find him down on one knee, with those, his grandmothers engagement ring, in the little velvet ring box as he asked me out loud to marry him. I babbled a lot in my head, and then I said yes. His family got all excited, and then we started planning the wedding. After that, I applied for an annulment, which came through this morning, and then we came here so I could reconcile with you." I took a deep breath. "So I could ask you, my best friend in the whole, wide world, to please be my Maid of Honour?"

"Of course I will!" Lissa's light, happy laugh echoed throughout the dining room. "This time around, you are going to have _the_ perfect wedding day, because you deserve it!"

I grinned. "Thanks, Liss."

But then her expression sobered up. "That doesn't mean you've gotten out of what we talked about earlier. The perfect wedding day includes having your dad walk you up the aisle, and seeing your mum sobbing in the front row about the fact that you're getting married."

I snorted. "Like my _mother_ would cry or show any emotion about anything I did. I've been nothing but one huge disappointment. She probably threw a party once I left with Adrian and she realised that I wasn't coming back."

Lissa's voice was soft. "She was worried, Rose. You know what your mum's like. She doesn't show her emotions, but once you fell out of contact, especially with me, she worried non-stop. They'll both be thrilled to hear from you. And to meet their grandkids."

* * *

><p>I took a deep, calming breath as I knocked on the familiar, aged mahogany door.<p>

Beside me, Dimitri squeezed my hand as a silent show of comfort, while the kids and Lissa waited a few steps behind us.

"Maybe they're not in." I tugged on Dimitri's arm. "We tried, and they didn't answer. Time to g-"

Dimitri's hand tightened on mine as the door swung open.

"Hello?"

My father was stood just inside the door, looking intimidating as always. His hair was still thick and dark, his eyes as sharp and observant as they had been in my youth.

I hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject.

_Should I just grin and wave awkwardly like I had with Lissa? _

_Should I jump into his arms, sobbing about how much I'd missed him? _

_Did he even remember me? Perhaps it would have been better to just go home as soon as I'd reunited with Lissa…_

"Kiz?"

I guess my choice had just been made for me.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight.**

**DXR – hehe, my thoughts exactly! :D I think that you'll enjoy the reunion and laugh a lot! Thanks for reviewing! xx**

**Ludka – hehe, I'm glad that you liked it! :) I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! xx**

**Yanis – no probs sweetie. Thanks for reading once you had time :) xx**

**HilaryR16 – thank you so much for adding me to your fave author and author alerts!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Maybe they're not in." I tugged on Dimitri's arm. "We tried, and they didn't answer. Time to g-"<em>

_Dimitri's hand tightened on mine as the door swung open._

"_Hello?"_

_My father was stood just inside the door, looking intimidating as always. His hair was still thick and dark, his eyes as sharp and observant as they had been in my youth._

_I hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject. _

_Should I just grin and wave awkwardly like I had with Lissa? _

_Should I jump into his arms, sobbing about how much I'd missed him? _

_Did he even remember me? Perhaps it would have been better to just go home as soon as I'd reunited with Lissa…_

"_Kiz__?"_

_I guess my choice had just been made for me._

I took a deep breath, and tried to muster up a brave smile. "Hi… dad."

His eyes widened, and he took a hesitant step forwards, before turning and slamming the door shut in my face.

Rejection stung my eyes as outrage filled Dimitri's features, until the door swung back open, and my mother stood there, formidable as ever, with shock plastered across her features.

"Rosemarie."

"_Mum_."

My father was stood beside her; shock mirrored in his eyes as his stared at me, and then let his gaze sweep over Dimitri. His eyebrows lifted, but he made no comment as he continued his silent assessment, letting his gaze drift to Lissa and Christian, where a grin touched at his lips, and then the four kids, where his mouth dropped open.

I swallowed as my father's line of sight fell on me once again, and clutched Dimitri's hand even tighter.

"Janine, the tension is killing me. Stop giving her evils and smile. She's our daughter for goodness sakes." My dad grinned at me and stepped over the threshold to pull me into his arms. "I've missed you, kiz."

I sniffled and buried my face in my dad's shoulder as I let go of Dimitri's hand to hug him back. He smelled familiar and homely, like my childhood. He smelled of spices and cigars and…. Like my dad. In his arms, I felt like I was eight years old again, waiting excitedly for him to come home after a long day at work so we could watch TV and eat ice cream together.

"Baba." The word was muffled against his thick shoulder, but he heard it and hugged me tighter, before pulling away to wipe the tears from my eyes.

"Finally, kiz. You've come home." His gaze roamed over the others once more, and his face brightened up. "And you brought company!"

* * *

><p>The room was silent.<p>

We were sat at the dining table since there weren't enough chairs in the front room to fit all ten of us. Why, after all these years, my parents still chose to keep a dining table that seated sixteen people, I'd never know.

Then again, my dad did have lots of 'business associates', and back when I'd lived at home, they'd tended to congregate in our house, rather than at the office.

But the large table didn't excuse the silence. At the head of the table were my mum and dad, which meant Dimitri and I had to face them and sit at the opposite end. Alyssa and Katrina sat in the two seats next to Dimitri, whilst Tom and Sophia were too scared to move. Tom was sat next to me, my hand clutched tightly by his, whilst Sophia perched on my lap, studiously ignoring the two new strangers. After catching my frightened gaze, Lissa had nudged Christian, and they'd sat down at the table too, for moral support. If this had been a war, by sitting in the middle, they were in neutral territory, but at the same time, by sticking around, I knew that they were rooting for me.

My mother stared at me, a displeased sneer sometimes slipping onto her face as her gaze flickered across the kids, before turning impassive as she glanced at Dimitri, and then fixing itself to her face once again as her gaze locked with mine. Dad sat beside her, his smile contained as he observed us all solemnly, but each time my gaze left my mother's and met his, his eyes would light up with humour. I couldn't see a funny side to this, and judging from the sombre expressions dotted around the table, neither did anyone else. Dimitri held my left hand, the broad pad of his thumb rubbing soothing circles into the palm of my hand. It helped, but every time I met my mother's gaze, my nerves shot into overdrive once again.

"So…" Dad decided to break the silence. "Why's it been so long, kiz?"

I grinned at the familiar nickname. "You mean you actually wanted to see me, old man?"

A humorous smile actually broke across his face. "'Old man?'" He grinned and sighed happily. "I honestly never thought I'd hear that again, or that I'd have missed hearing it."

Some of the tension left my body… until my mother commented.

"Don't you have any respect? You disappear for years on end, and then show up out of the blue and start throwing around degrading comments like you never left. Grow up, Rosemarie."

My cheeks flamed with embarrassment as Lissa gasped. Her facial expression mirrored mine, shock and humiliation, while my mother glared disapprovingly.

"Janine, that's harsh. Both sides are at fault here."

My mother huffed and turned to glare at dad, while I smiled gratefully.

"How, exactly are _we_ at fault, Ibrahim? _We_ didn't disappear for fourteen years, and then turn up out of the blue!"

My dad's smile tightened as his eyes flashed. That was the first indicator that he was losing his patience, but that wouldn't make my mother back down. They both loved each other dearly, but knew exactly how to grate on the other's nerves until they were at each other's throats.

"That's true, Janine. But _we_ were also the ones who pushed her into walking out of that front door. We weren't too encouraging or supportive fourteen years ago. Get down from your high horse and remember all of the events that took place and all of our actions, not just Rose's."

She scowled and turned away from him childishly. "_Fine_. Then, Rosemarie, why don't you explain yourself."

"First off, quit calling me '_Rosemarie'_. Yes, it's my name, but I'm not a child, so don't treat me like one. I prefer to be called Rose, and you know it, _Janine_."

"I'm your mother, so you'll refer to me as such. Don't expect me to treat you with respect when you don't show any."

I laughed humourlessly. "So it's okay for you to be a bitch, but not for me? Respect isn't given, _mother_, it's earned. Something you have yet to do."

My dad interrupted before she could fire back another spiteful comment. "Kiz, please. Ignore your mother if you have to," He ignored her offended huff and pleaded with his eyes. "Where have you been? Why has it taken so long for you to contact us?"

I sighed and scrubbed at my eyes tiredly. "Okay. I think I need to introduce everyone, and then explain _everything_ from the beginning." I glanced at my mother. "Do you think you can bite back any vile comments you have until I'm done? Once I've finished explaining, if you still don't give a damn, then I'll go just like I did before."

"If you're so eager to leave, why did you even come here in the first place?" Interest and something else resonated in her tone. She was probably happy it was that easy to get rid of me once again.

"Because Lissa guilt-tripped me into it, and because I agreed that you at least deserved to meet your grandchildren and soon to be son-in-law."

This time, interest really did spark in her eyes, and in my father's too. "What happened to Adrian?"

My smile was grim. "That's all a part of what happened."

* * *

><p>Once Lissa had made tea for everyone, and we'd all sat back down in the dining room, with the kids watching television in the front room, I started to talk.<p>

"First things first, this is my fiancé, Dimitri Belikov. I'll introduce you to the children afterwards, but I want you to hear me out first, before they meet you and get attached, just for you to turn your backs on them the way you did to me."

My dad's face fell slightly. "We didn't turn our backs on you, kiz."

I shook my head sadly. "Yes, baba, you did." I held up my hand to stop them from arguing. "As you already know, when I fell pregnant, you didn't want me to keep the baby, because you felt having a child at such a young age was going to impact upon my future in a negative way. For you, the negatives outweighed the positives. And when I refused to give up my baby for adoption, you kicked me out. I stayed with Lissa and the Dragomirs for a few months, and then moved in with Adrian and his family."

Both of my parents nodded sadly. "And this has to do with why Dimitri is sat there, rather than Adrian?" My mother spoke as they watched me intensely.

"Yes. Let's skip all the arguments we had and get to the last thing we all know. I gave up my place at university in order to have the baby and to keep Adrian in my life. He accepted his place at Leicester University, and I went with him." They both nodded once again. Adrian proposed just before his course started, and I accepted. I had Alyssa Marie Ivashkov, my eldest, two months later. She's named after her auntie and Godmother - Lissa. We all lived together in student halls and got married that Christmas. I hadn't spoken to you since you kicked me out, and Lissa was in America doing her degree. So… none of you came. Or even knew. Adrian gained his degree in business, and got a job relatively soon afterwards. After that became too boring, he opened a bar with his friend."

I hesitated, and Dimitri rubbed my back soothingly. I was sure he remembered having this conversation before, and knew what was coming next. It had been tough to admit to him what had happened in my past, and I was terrified at admitting to my parents exactly what had happened once I'd left.

"We- we started to argue. He spent all of the money we had left over on the bar because it wasn't doing very well- profit-wise, and I was tired of trying to juggle long shifts with looking after a new born and our flat. Adrian started drinking a lot, and one night, he was worse than ever. He could barely walk, and I should have let it go, until he'd sobered up. But… I didn't. I snapped and we got into an argument over the fact that he was drinking away our money. And that was the first time he hit me."

My mother's face paled as fury danced in my father's eyes. "He. Did. What?" My dad stood up abruptly, his hand reaching for his mobile phone as my mother mimicked his actions. "Ivashkov dies. Right now."

"Dad!" I thumped Dimitri in the arm as hard as I could to wipe the satisfied smirk from his face. "You promised you wouldn't do or say anything until I finished talking!"

His eyes, sharp and angry, met my own. "_I_ did not. Your mother promised to keep her catty remarks to herself. That's all, kiz. If he hit you, he deserves to die. No matter how much you hated us, you should have told us."

I threw my hands up in exasperation. "I do not and did not _hate_ you. And you'd have reacted even worse back then than you are now!"

"I'm your father. I have every right to react the way I am!"

"No, you're doing it because your ego's been bruised because I wasn't tough enough to stand up to him. You want to feel big and manly because you weren't there to protect your little girl." My voice softened, and my dad stopped dialling numbers on his phone. "Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. And what I've been through has been much, much worse. But I've dealt with it. If it's only going to get you even more het up, I won't finish my explanation and I'll leave right this minute."

He scowled, but put his phone away as he sat back down, and I continued. "I know now, with hindsight that it was stupid to stick around, but he was my husband, and a father, and I was… alone. Adrian was all I had. I was isolated, even though I didn't realise it at the time. I was shocked that he'd laid a hand on me in a violent way, and he seemed to be shocked and disgusted with himself too. He begged for days for me to forgive him… and I did, in the end. And then I fell pregnant again, with your grandson, Tom Adrian Ivashkov. Things started to look up from then on. The bar took off, we stopped arguing and we moved into a big house with matching plans for our future. And then we started arguing again. My mind would flash back to the night he'd slapped me when that happened, but he didn't hit me, and gradually, I let my guard down again."

My mother tensed, but didn't comment. "Adrian was so happy that we'd had a boy… but we grew distant, and so did his relationship with Alyssa. When I questioned why he didn't treat her with the same level of affection he showed towards Tom, he hit me. This time, with a fist, hard enough to blacken my eye. Like before he begged me for forgiveness repeatedly until I caved. But this time, he didn't stop. It happened again after that. A slap when his dinner wasn't ready when he came home from work. A punch when the kids were too noisy while he watched television. A kick if he caught me napping at the same time as the kids because I'd had a long day at work. By now, we were stuck in the vicious, unending cycle of abuse and forgiveness. I was trapped, and too scared to do anything about it." My breath hitched, and Dimitri's arm wrapped tightly around my waist. "Until one day…" I had to force the words out. "I picked up the kids and came home. I felt sick, and while Tom was in his playpen and Alyssa was playing with the kids next door, I was sick in the bathroom. I didn't realise Adrian was home, but he woke up at the 'noise'. Rather than soothing me, as soon as I stood up and had finished cleaning myself, he beat me. Worse than he ever had before. He eventually knocked me to the ground hard enough that I hit my head against the porcelain sink on the way down and passed out."

Lissa cringed even though she'd heard it twice now, and Dimitri winced. Hearing my tale probably refreshed his own memories of his father and his childhood.

"Waking up to Alyssa's frantic face was the wakeup call I needed. I realised that if I stayed, eventually, one of us would end up dead, and with the way things were going, it was most likely to be me. I packed up a bag of our things, and we left. I went to the hospital to get checked out and then we tried to leave. But Adrian got there before they released me. And he made sure that I knew the consequences of what would happen if I told anyone. I found out I was pregnant with Sophia Abrianna Ivashkov, and the beating continued, this time on a daily basis. And two days after she was born, the divorce papers arrived. To cut a long story short, I lost the court case. Adrian got everything, and I ended up living with three kids in a measly one bedroom council flat."

Both of my parents' faces had paled, and my father was clutching at the table top so hard his tanned knuckles had turned white.

"Kizim. He. Will. _Die_. I'm going to respect your wishes and sit here while you finish telling us the rest, and then I'm going to hunt down that goddamned fucker and rip his head off with my bare hands. _No one_ messes with my family."

"Mum, talk to him! If he does that he'll end up in prison!"

My dad grinned. "No I won't. I'm not stupid, Rose. I know how to do these things without getting caught." His gaze shifted to Dimitri and his grin turned sly. "A fact you should bear in mind."

I sighed and slumped in my chair. "Can everyone _please_ lay off Dimitri? He's not going to do any of the crap Adrian did."

"Damn straight." My mother finally joined the conversation, but not in the way I expected. "Ibrahim, when you go after Ivashkov, I get to use the iron pipe you bought the other day."

"Mum!"

She continued on as though she hadn't heard me. "You shoot, and I'll smash. Then your… boys can deal with the clean-up."

Dimitri's eyes widened as my parents casually discussed the many ways they could and would 'deal' with Adrian.

I leant in to his body and kissed his cheek softly, noticing the rigidity in his posture. "Don't worry. I won't let them do anything to you, and I'm pretty sure that once they hear how amazing you've been, they'll calm down and stop talking about murdering Adrian."

I kissed his cheek again and smiled as he relaxed slightly.

"Do you think he'll actually do it? Like… kill Adrian?" There was a hint of nervousness in his voice, and I had to fight back a smile. It was cute, in a way, that despite his fright, Dimitri was still here, sat beside me, willing to see our relationship through.

"My dad… he's crazy enough to do it. And my mum's stubborn enough to do it because I asked her not to. Once they calm down and _see_ _sense_," The last two words were pointedly thrown in their direction. "I don't think so." He didn't seem convinced. "Look at Lissa and Christian. They're not fazed. Lissa and I grew up together, she's heard them spout stuff like this a million times, and because she's not bothered, neither is Christian. Though, actually… it looks as though Lissa's trying to pick up tips…" I frowned and snapped at my parents. "Break it up. I don't want my best friend turning into a homicidal maniac because of you."

My parents stared at me incredulously. "Rose, we're only trying to do what's best for you."

"And that boy deserves everything he's got coming to him."

I laughed and shook my head. "What he did doesn't matter now." I glanced at Dimitri, and noticed that he was smiling too. You haven't heard the good bit yet."

* * *

><p>"So, what you're telling me… is that Katrina is Adrian and Camille's child?"<p>

I nodded.

"And Camille is the 'lady' he was cheating with the entire time you were married."

Again I nodded.

"Son of a bitch."

Everyone at the table laughed as my dad slumped in his seat.

"Why are you looking after her again?"

"Because Adrian is a dick to her, just like he was to me and our children. She's a part of our family, and she's much happier living with her siblings and Dimitri and I, who aren't her parents, rather than her other brother and her real parents."

Both of my parents nodded thoughtfully.

"She seems sweet."

"She is."

"Can I- I mean-" My mother's expression was one I'd never thought that I'd have seen. She looked almost… tentative.

"You want to meet your grandchildren?"

My dad shot up from his seat, his lingering frown disappearing as he glanced around excitedly. "It's about time we got to meet the next set of Mazur's."

I snorted. "They're not going to be Mazur's dad."

"Why not?" He actually looked and sounded disappointed.

"Because they're going to be Hathaway's." A triumphant grin popped up on my mother's face.

"No mum, they're not." I took a deep breath. "They're going to be Belikov's."

* * *

><p>"Bye, Baba. I'll see you next weekend."<p>

"Bye, kiz. Call us so we know you all got back safely." My dad pulled me into his arms as he kissed my forehead. "Dimitri seems like a good guy. Genuine. And he really does love you." He grinned against my hair. "He didn't back down when I threatened to rip out both of his knee caps and to gut him like a fish if he even thought about harming you, whether it be emotional, physical or mental. He's a keeper."

You know, some people would find your overprotectiveness freaky. But I know it's just your way of saying I love you." I smiled and kissed his cheek as I hugged him tighter. "I love you, baba."

"I love you too, kiz."

He released me, and my mum pulled me into a hug next. "I'm sorry, Rose. And I'm glad that you came down. I missed you so much. I'm sorry that it's taken us fourteen years to do what we should have done from the minute you told us you were pregnant. We should have stood by you, and we pushed you away. I'm sorry about that."

"I missed you too, mum." My arms tightened around my mum's tiny frame as she stroked through my hair soothingly.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay over? We have enough room for you all to fit-"

I shook my head. "I'd like to, to spend more time with you and Lissa, but we need to get home. We came up here on a whim, so it's best to get back. We'll see you in a week anyway."

She nodded, and kissed my cheek softly before stepping back. "Drive safely." Her eyes rested over my shoulder as she nodded at Dimitri. "Look after my daughter."

My eyes met his, and he smiled. "I will."

Dimitri shook my father's hand. "I'll see you at the weekend, Mr. Mazur."

My dad smiled back warmly. "If you pass the inspection at the weekend, you can call me Abe."

Dimitri nodded and turned to my mother, before shaking her hand and pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. "Ms. Hathaway."

"Bye, Dimitri. And like Abe, depending on how it goes on Saturday, you can call me Janine."

He nodded gratefully as I hugged my parents one last time, and then headed towards the car. Lissa and Christian had left once my parents had been introduced to the kids, and as I'd said my goodbye's Dimitri had carefully placed the sleeping kids in the car.

I kissed him softly as he opened my door for me, and smiled as he shut it for me before walking around to get in his side. "Let's go home."

* * *

><p>I hummed under my breath as I left the staff room and made my way towards the Tesco exit.<p>

The visit from my parents had gone well, and the kids had slowly warmed up to them as the weekend had gone by. It had taken a while, but my mother and I had started to get over our differences. We still didn't have the perfect mother-daughter relationship that most people wanted, but ours was functional. And that was more than I would ever have hoped for. On Sunday evening, there had been plenty of tears from almost everyone as my parents said their goodbyes.

I switched on my mobile as I headed towards the employee car park. On the days when I had a late shift Dimitri would come and pick me up to save me the long bus journey home.

Something skittered to my left, and my head snapped up as I walked through the middle of the car park. It was underground, and lit by bright white lampposts that didn't leave any shadows.

Nothing was there.

I frowned and tugged my bag closer to my chest as my pace increased and I headed towards the stairs.

Something didn't feel right, but when I glanced back at the lit car park, it was empty.

I walked up the steps slowly, trying to calm my breathing, until the hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight. Someone's footfalls were echoing mine almost silently as I made my way up the stairs.

I stopped, and a second later, so did the other person.

My heartbeat thudded in my ears as I turned and stared down the stairwell, my gaze waiting for someone to materialise out of thin air. I even walked back down the second flight, to peek around the corner to check they weren't hiding.

Nobody was there.

I laughed and shook my head, mumbling under my breath as I walked back up the stairs. I was being paranoid and oversensitive.

_There's no one there, Rose._

But that didn't stop my stomach from churning uneasily as I pulled out my mobile phone once again and dialled Dimitri's number.

"_Roza?"_

"Are you in the car?"

The sounds of the kids chattering echoed through the phone and reassured me. _"Yep. We're up on the second floor. Near to the door."_

I smiled in relief. "Okay. I'm almost there, I just have one more flight to g-" My voice cut off as I rounded the corner to see Adrian standing there.

"Rose. What a pleasant surprise."

My body froze as I clutched at the phone desperately. "Dim-"

My voice cut off when the stench of alcohol wafted towards me, and as I noticed the rather large steak knife clasped in Adrian's hand, and I backed up a step.

"_Roza? Are you okay?"_ Dimitri's voice echoed from my phone and disturbed the tense silence that had settled between me and Adrian.

"Put the phone down, Rose." I opened my mouth to warn Dimitri, but Adrian raised the knife. "If you even think about it, I'll slit your throat, and then I'll get him. Put the phone down. _Now_." His voice was slightly slurred as he lifted his other hand up, revealing an almost empty bottle of whiskey. He raised it to his lips and swallowed down a large mouthful, his gaze never leaving mine as he did so.

Tears filled my eyes as I hung up on Dimitri and placed my phone on the floor, without taking my gaze off of Adrian.

"Please, Adr-"

"Shut up!"

The bottle slipped from Adrian's grip and I froze as it smashed, the strong liquid splashing everywhere.

Pure fury consumed Adrian's features as he glanced between me and the bottle. "You stupid slut. Look at what you did!"

"I didn-"

His face twisted and a heavy tear splashed down my cheek as he stepped towards me, and I backed up two steps this time. I wanted as much distance between us as possible.

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?" Adrian stepped forwards once again, and I stepped back. "How much you've ruined my life, just by existing?" A sick smile spread across his lips as he stalked towards me and I backed up. "You're going to pay for every second of your miserable existence."

My eyes grew wide as he slashed at the air in front of my face with the knife as he gestured, and instinctively, I stepped back.

Into thin air.

I wobbled, and swung my arms wildly as I stepped forwards to regain my footing, right as Adrian stepped forwards too. His hands came out and caught my shoulders, steadying my body as he stared into my eyes.

And then he pushed me backwards and away from his body sharply as he released my shoulders, before shoving forcefully at my chest as I tried once more to regain my balance.

I hit almost every stair as I fell.

My back collided sharply against the concrete steps as my body twisted, and my head smashed against them before I landed heavily on my hip and rolled down the last few stairs to land in a crumpled heap at the bottom.

Stars exploded behind my eyeballs as my head throbbed, and I could taste blood at the back of my mouth as I whimpered and tried to move. My hips felt strange, and when I tried to move my lower body, I heard a strange crunching sound.

Pain radiated through my arm as I tried to move it to prop my body up, and I cringed as footsteps sounded on the stairs in my direction.

"Rosie." I cried out as Adrian's fingers twined into the roots of my hair and yanked my head off of the ground. "Did that hurt? Are you scared?" The cool bade of the knife pressed against my neck, as a sob escaped my throat. "Good. You should be."

He placed the knife onto the ground carefully, before wrapping one of his large hands around my throat so he could drag me onto my feet as he stood. My breathing cut off as his grasp tightened, and satisfaction flared in his eyes as he watched me struggle to breathe in. Black spots started to dance in front of my eyes, when just as suddenly, his hold lightened, and air rushed into my lungs. At the same time, he also stopped supporting my weight, and a choked cry left my lips as my legs tried to crumple from my weight. My right leg felt like it was broken, and there was something seriously wrong with my hips.

"Stand up."

Adrian's voice was a grunt as he forced me to hold myself up. My legs folded once again, and that pushed him over the edge. This time, he wrapped my hair around his left fist and hoisted me up so he could punch me in the abdomen. "I said to stand up!" My cheek stung as he slapped me across the face, and despite the pain in my arm, I tried to claw at his hand. "Stop it." Pain radiated across my jaw once again as his hand smacked my cheek forcefully once again, this time knocking my face to the side. "I don't want to end up with any infected scratches from you. I'd probably have to get a rabies shot." His fist tightened in my hair before he threw me down to the ground, smiling triumphantly when I screamed in pain as my shoulder collided with the hard floor.

"Stop." My face felt swollen and tender as he walked closer to my body. "Please, Adrian."

My choked sob echoed through the stairwell as he lifted my head up to stare into his eyes, before he let it drop against the floor. Heavily. "You're really not worth it, Rose." His voice was contemplative as he straightened out my injured arm, and then my hand, before he stepped onto my fingers lightly. "You're really not." He pressed his weight down as I tried to pull my hand back. "Should I break your pretty little fingers? You wouldn't be able to do your job if you couldn't use your hand, would you?" He stepped off of my hand for a second, only to stamp on it a second later when I tried to drag it back in towards my body. "Maybe I should stamp on the other one after I'm done with this one?"

Alarm tried to force its way through my foggy brain as he mentioned my other hand.

That was the one my engagement ring was on.

He couldn't take my ring, or find out that Dimitri had proposed.

I sniffled and curled it into a fist and drew it under me, whimpering as the movement stirred my bruised body.

He sighed. "Maybe I should just end our problems now? Someone's going to come across this sooner or later."

There was a light scrape, like nails on a chalkboard, as he lifted the knife from its place on the ground, and more tears continued to stream down my face as I tried to ignore the pain coursing through my body and roll away from him.

"Not so fast-" Adrian's voice cut off as my phone buzzed at the top of the stairs, and I froze. I recognised his tone as he sighed in annoyance, but rather than ignore it, he walked up the stairs and picked it up, before walking back to me. "Isn't that sweet. Your boyfriend's trying to call you. Do you think he's worried?"

I watched in shock as he cut the call and switched off my phone before taking out the battery and sim card. Then he snapped the sim card in half and threw the phone to the ground, laughing as it chipped, before he stamped on it. "Is this seriously the best you could buy? It's a cheap, worthless, piece of shit. Like you." He laughed. "I guess it's fitting." Each of his spiteful words were accompanied by a stamp as he crushed what remained of my handset.

"Now that that's taken care of…" I shrank back as he focused on me and switched the knife from hand to hand.

I squeezed my eyes shut as a sob escaped my lips and I prayed to God. If this was how I was going out, there wasn't a damn thing I could do to change it, but I could at least pray that Dimitri would find love with someone else, and that the courts would allow him to take care of the kids. I knew they were safe in his hands, and that he'd have the support of both our families to do it.

"Shall I be kind and make it fast, or give you what you deserve and make it slow?"

"How about neither?" My eyes shot open as a furious, Russian-accented voice sounded from just behind Adrian.

Dimitri was there, his eyes black with anger as he charged into Adrian, tackling him to the ground. I shrieked as they collapsed close to where I lay, and watched in fascination as the knife skittered out of Adrian's reach, and Dimitri went to work in beating the crap out of him.

"Rose? Dimitri?" Mia's voice echoed up the stairwell a few seconds before she burst around the corner. "Dim-"

Her eyes widened and she gasped as she noticed Dimitri straddling Adrian's waist as he beat him, before landing on my crumpled form.

"_Rose?_"


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine.**

**I'm feeling a bit emotional, so I have a rather long A.N. It's important, I promise! **

**Firstly, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who's supported me and this fanfiction, whether it be from the start, or more recently. Thank you so much to everyone who's read, reviewed, favourite or alerted this story or me as an author. I really do appreciate it, and I feel so lucky to have such great readers. **

**Secondly, I want to let out a huge squeal of happiness and shock. I cannot believe that this fic, which was only supposed to be ten chapters long, is now twenty nine chapters long, and has a thousand reviews. I never expected the response it received, and I never expected it to develop so far. Thank you all for your support and overall amazingness. **

**Thirdly, I wanted to dedicate this chapter to two very lovely ladies, but upon reaching this milestone, I decided that this chapter should be dedicated to each and every one of you who has paid any attention at all to this fic. Thank you.**

**Jusinda Broughton and Morgan Grant, I want to shout out to you two. You both left me such sweet messages on my facebook page with regards to this story and my writing, and I feel so blessed and lucky to have such kind readers. Thank you! Xx**

**I wrote a little three-shot that was posted the other day. It's called My first, my last, my everything. The banner for it is on my facebook page - Nicia Fanfiction.**

**HUGE thanks to she lives in a daydream for all of the legal help! This chapter and the ones to follow would be nowhere near as good without your help, guidance and advice. Thank you! As promised, Charlotte Valdez will be the name of the kick-ass lawyer! :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

"_Okay. I'm almost there, I just have one more flight to g-"_ My stomach churned uneasily as Roza's voice cut off suddenly.

Someone else's voice echoed in the background, but they weren't loud enough for me to understand what was being said. Roza started to speak again, only to cut herself off once more.

"_Dim-"_

"Roza? Are you okay?" Worry radiated from my tone and the kids fell silent as they picked up on the fact that something was very wrong. The car was just as silent as the phone line as I waited for Roza to reply.

She didn't answer, but the other voice sounded once more before the call ended suddenly.

Automatically, I tried to ring her again, but she didn't answer. Instead her phone rang and rang, before her answerphone kicked in.

My body tensed as I rang Mia. Maybe Rose had just remembered something she left behind? It was a long shot, but it was far better than any of the other scenarios that were running through my mind.

My beautiful Roza, cornered and frightened as someone tried to mug her… or worse.

I swallowed those thoughts down and focused on what Mia was saying.

"…left almost twenty minutes ago, Dimitri. Nobody's seen her come back in. Are you sure she's not gotten mixed up and gone to the wrong floor of the car park?"

"No, she called me a minute ago and asked. I told her we were on the second floor by the doors. Something about this feels wrong, Mia. She's not answering her phone."

Mia's voice sounded breathless, as though she'd suddenly started running. "I'll meet you up at the car park. Maybe I'll see her on my way up."

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. "I'm going to check the stairs and make sure she hasn't fallen down or anything like that. Call me if you find her."

"Sure thing."

That was a valid reason, wasn't it? Roza could have fallen down, and that would explain why she'd hung up and why she didn't answer her phone. My stomach tightened with the thought of her being hurt, but that was a better alternative to someone else harming her in any way.

I got out of the car and turned back to face the kids before I left. "Stay here. I'm going to find mum, okay?"

They nodded and Tom grinned. "If anything happens we'll beep the horn."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "No pressing it just because you're bored like you did last time."

His huge, emerald green eyes widened innocently. "It was important!"

"Uh huh." I pulled the keys out of the ignition, and shut the door to talk through the open window. "I'll be back in five minutes."

They all nodded, and I took a deep breath as I walked over to the stairs and opened the door. Voices echoed up the stairwell, and I felt my brows furrow together as I dialled Roza's phone once more in the hopes of hearing it ring so I could find her that way.

"Not so fast-"

A dull buzzing echoed as I waited to hear Roza's light, carefree tone answering her phone, and continued to make my way down the stairs slowly. I didn't want to intrude on someone's private moment. "Isn't that sweet? Your boyfriend's trying to call you. Do you think he's worried?"

I recognised that voice, but couldn't place it. Alarm coursed through me as something snapped and smashed as the unidentifiable person laughed and the dull crunching sound continued.

Then, my mind placed the voice, and I hurried down the stairs faster. The laughing voice was the one I'd heard through Rose's phone.

"Is this seriously the best you could buy? It's a cheap, worthless, piece of shit. Like you." The voice laughed again, sounding cruel and cold like my fathers had. "I guess it's fitting." Each of the spiteful words were accompanied by a crunch and my throat closed up as images of Rose flickered through my mind.

"Now that that's taken care of…"

I rounded the corner in time to see the worst sight of my life.

Roza, curled in on herself protectively as a male stalked towards her. As he drew closer my legs unfroze, and I couldn't stop them from running. Every fibre of my being was screaming at me to get there in time, to put my body in between Rose and her attacker's before he could hurt her anymore. As I reached the base of the stairs, he stepped closer, and the light shone off of his hair. Anger bubbled in the pit of my stomach as I realised who it was.

Adrian.

And then I saw Roza fully.

When I saw Roza there, crumpled at the base of the stairs, her body bruised and bloody as she whimpered and tried to shuffle away my heart felt like it was breaking. And then, when I saw that it was Adrian looming over her, white hot fury overpowered any rational thought I'd previously held.

Her face was bruised and practically covered in blood, while her long, dark hair had been pulled free from its ponytail and splayed around her head, almost like a halo. She looked like she was trying to move away, but her arms kept giving out and her legs… her legs looked like those of a Barbie doll. Stiff and immobile.

"Shall I be kind and make it fast, or give you what you deserve and make it slow?"

I hadn't acted when I saw him crouching down with the knife in his hand. I'd reacted.

"How about neither?"

I charged down the stairs and threw my body into his as I fought for my woman. A snarl rattled in my throat as I saw red and tackled him to the ground as heavily as I could. I wasn't concerned about being careful. I wanted to break a few of his bones on the way down.

Memories assaulted me as I knocked him away from her body, and the knife from his hand.

At five years old - _My mother, smiling happily despite her split lip as I showed her the painting I'd drawn at school._

At seven - _My mother, raising her hands above her head to cheer me on during Sports Day, despite the fact that my father had cracked her rib the day before._

At ten - _My mother, my kind, sweet, caring mother, laying in a crumpled heap, sobbing as my father screamed relentlessly about how pathetic and useless she was._

At thirteen - _Finally gathering up the courage to defend my mother against my cruel father, and giving him the beating he truly deserved._

_Watching as the police drove him away from our house for the last time, and silently sighing with relief over the fact that he was hopefully gone from our lives for good._

At thirty four - _Meeting Roza on the first day of night school, and watching as the apprehension in her beautiful brown eyes turned to gentle amusement._

_Getting to know her, and realising not even three weeks later that I was smitten._

_Finding out how much of a hard life she lived, and being able to bring a little light into it with a simple gesture that she truly appreciated._

_Kissing her that first night, and never, ever wanting to stop. Finding out that she was even more beautiful, inside and out than I'd realised. Not wanting to let go of her, even when her son caught us._

_Meeting Roza's kids, and being accepted by them, even though they had a father._

_Becoming their father._

At thirty five - _Adding Katrina in to our crazy little family._

_Watching as Roza finally overcame her past, and accepted us fully._

_The heart-warming elation that filled my body as she accepted my proposal, and set the wheels in motion by breaking the last set of ties she had to Adrian by pushing for an annulment._

_The pride I felt as she swallowed down her own and made amends with her best friend, and then her family._

And then… _Being forced to sit and watch as Adrian broke down her confidence with a few callous, spiteful words._

_Seeing the tears well up in the beautiful, expressive eyes that held my soul caused tears to well up in my own eyes, and as she'd sobbed in my arms that night, I'd sworn I'd never let Adrian hurt her again. I'd never let her be hurt to the extent that my mother was._

And now… _I was seeing her in the exact same position._

Pain enveloped my heart as my chest constricted as images of what Adrian could have done flashed through my mind.

In the idea scenario, she'd have fallen down the stars, and he was going to help her up.

However, it was obvious that wasn't the case. He'd most likely pushed her down the stairs.

God…. If I'd been even five seconds later…

Roza could have been dead.

Anger and fright at what could have happened only fuelled my anger, making my hits harder as I tried to inflict just as much pain as I could imagine Rose was in, on Adrian's body.

Blood poured from his nose and he cried out as my fist connected heavily with his jaw, a sharp crack echoing through the air a second later.

His hands lifted feebly to try and fend off some of my hits.

I growled and punched him in the ribs as hard as I could, satisfaction drawing my lips up into a cold smirk as the force pushed the air from his lungs.

"I told you not to touch Roza!"

I was close to my breaking point as I remembered arriving home to find him inside the house, and Roza, with a bright red slap mark across her cheek. Forcing his way into our house and assaulting Roza had been way out of line, but this? Waiting for her after work with a knife?

I staggered to my feet and hauled Adrian up by his collar. His face was swollen and tears leaked from the corner of his eyes as I forced him to meet my gaze.

"How. Dare. You!" Each one of my words was accompanied by a hit of some sort as I slammed him up against the wall. "Violence isn't the answer, but you, you're an exception. You deserve everything you get and more."

"Dimitri."

Someone was pulling at my arm, trying to get me to release Adrian, but I shook them off and threw Adrian's body to the ground.

"Dimitri."

The toe of my shoe connected sharply with his ribs, the strength of my hit causing him to roll over, groan and suddenly go limp.

The red haze cleared from my eyes and my hands shook as the enormity of what I'd done registered in my mind.

"Did you…" My chest heaved as I turned to find Mia standing a few feet away. "Did you… kill him?" Her eyes were wide as she stared between me and Adrian's unconscious body.

I grimaced, and walked over to him, to place his body into the recovery position. "No. But hopefully I've done enough damage that he'll be recovering in hospital long enough for the judge to prosecute him and send him straight from hospital to jail."

I straightened up, and my gaze immediately fell on Roza. My poor Roza, who looked as though she were-

I cut the thought off before I could finish it. I needed to stay strong and stay positive.

But that didn't stop a tear from dripping down my cheek as I knelt down beside Roza's body and took her small hand in mine. "Have you called for an ambulance and the police?"

Mia's voice wobbled, but was firm as she spoke. "They're on their way. They said not to move her in case-" a small sob broke out and I glanced up as my stomach twisted with worry. "In case she has any spinal cord damage. And- and to just make sure she keeps breathing. Oh God. Look at what Adrian did to her."

Mia's voice was distraught as I glanced back down at Roza, my eyes categorising and memorising her injuries.

"Roza?" I gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "Hold on, Roza." I swallowed heavily and glanced up at Mia as I fumbled in my pockets for my keys. "The kids are still in the car. Can you go and make sure they're okay, please."

She nodded after casting one more anxious glance at Adrian's still figure before she ran up the stairs. She was probably worried that I'd go crazy once she was out of sight and actually kill him.

"Oh, Roza," My voice was a whisper as I rubbed small circles into the palm of her hand. I had no idea whether she was in pain, or whether she was unconscious enough that her injuries weren't registering with her body. I didn't even know how seriously injured she was. "I wish I'd arrived sooner, that you didn't have to go through this." I lowered my head to press a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

><p>"…You are under arrest. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."<p>

I swallowed down my panic and tried not to struggle as the police officer read me my rights. Getting held on a more serious charge wouldn't do either Roza or myself any good.

"Wait, I just-" The police officer pulled at my shoulders as I tried to turn back to see what the paramedics were doing to Roza.

"I have to take you to the station, son."

"I understand, but-"

He sighed, and even though I knew that I wasn't making things any easier, I still had to try. "Are you resisting arrest?"

"No." I shook my head wildly. "I know what I did. But, please. That's my fiancée," The police officer's eyes softened with understanding. "Is she going to be okay? I just need to know that she's going to be alright. Please." My voice broke, and he nodded before releasing my wrists from where they'd been pinned behind my back by the handcuffs.

"I shouldn't be doing this, so don't make me regret it."

I nodded and stepped forwards as he did, past Adrian's body which was being tended to by some paramedics, until we were next to Roza. They were getting ready to transfer her from the ground to the stretcher, and my heart ached as they carefully straightened out her arms and legs. "Is she-" I swallowed as tears stung at the backs of my eyes. "Will she be okay? Will she feel the pain even though she's…"

One of the paramedics stood and rubbed my arm soothingly. "We can't really say. She doesn't look good, but then again, I've seen people come out of worse scrapes than this one with no real lasting damage."

"_Lasting damage?..."_

"Hon, are you okay?" The paramedic snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Maybe you should sit down, honey. You don't look so good." She turned away from me and murmured something to her colleague about shock.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm okay. I just. Are you too late? Will she recover? I just need to know-"

"Hon," The paramedic's tone was understanding, yet firm as she cut me off. "I can't answer your questions. Firstly, because I don't have the answers, and secondly, because it goes against the code of practice. She's in a bad shape, but you found her pretty quickly, so I've got high hopes. It'll take her some time to recover; physically and mentally." She grinned conspiratorially at me. "And though I shouldn't condone it, you did a good number on the guy over there. From what I overheard Blondie telling the officer in charge, the guy's had it coming for a long time. He reeks of alcohol, and the police said that it's likely the cameras will show all the evidence she needs to press charges. She's lucky to have a guy like you."

I smiled, but shook my head. "I'm lucky to have a woman like her."

The officer who'd cuffed me tapped me on the shoulder. "We have to go, son."

I nodded, but waited until they'd lifted Roza's body onto the stretcher. The heart monitor beeped out of sync for a few moments, before settling back down again into a steady rhythm.

I leant forwards and pressed my lips against the smooth skin of her forehead, which was now bruised and slightly tinged with blood. "I love you. Don't you dare give up." I let my lips trail down her face lightly, being careful to avoid the swelling that had started to show. I breathed in the warm, fruit salad-y scent that seemed to emanate from her skin, even in its damaged state and committed the smell to memory, unsure of when I'd next see her. If they charged me, and Roza was really, seriously injured-

I sighed and let my lips touch hers softly for a moment before I pulled back. "I love you."

* * *

><p>"Excuse me."<p>

Internally I chastised myself as the officer in charge of the holding cells walked over. I was in prison, and yet I sounded like I was asking to be served in a restaurant.

"Yes?"

"I'd like my free phone call, please."

Ah well, manner's never cost anyone anything.

A few seconds later, he motioned for me to move over to the cell door and I did so, glad to be escaping the cramped confines of the holding cell.

My stomach twisted as I dialled the number I'd memorised as soon as it had been given to me. Rose was going to hate me for doing it, but I didn't have any other choice.

"Hello? Who is this and why are you calling me from prison?"

"Hey, Abe, it's Dimitri. I need you to come and bail me out…"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty is on its way! It'll probably be finished and posted on TuesdayWednesday. xx**

**Ludka – I'm sorry, but I did delete RCA. It's going to be reposted at some point though! Having Dimitri and Lissa is a part of the storyline, but it couldn't happen that early on.**

**As for your review to this story, Rose doesn't fight back because she's scared. Despite all the progress she's made, when she's facing Adrian, she loses her confidence. She's transported back to that period of time when his word was law. It's an effect that'll take time to shift, and the thing is, because he's worse and worse every time she faces him, her fear will only grow. It never gets the chance to decrease. :(**

**Jbowencox – I hope you'll like this chapter too!**

**Yanis – LOL! Definitely! :D**

**clair95 – lol, I'm glad it shocked you!**

**DXR – Abe definitely should have! And don't feel sorry for what you said. I'd have had the exact same reaction if this was a chapter in a fic I was reading. Adrian is disgusting and deserves everything he gets! I'm glad you like the story, and I'm glad that you reacted the way you did to the review :)**

**Maddiie – Here you go!  
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**angela masson – That will be revealed in the up and coming chapters! And thank you so much for the sweet review! :)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty.**

**Lol, a lot of you were shocked at the fact that Dimitri ended up getting arrested. Regardless of the fact that Adrian injured Rose, Dimitri still assaulted another person. The police can't be biased when they arrive at the scene and let him off, even if it was in Rose's defence. Don't worry, it'll all get sorted in the end. :)**

**Has everyone checked out the amazing banner that was made for this story? The link to it is on my profile, and so is a link for a photo album that goes along with/inspired this story.**

**clair95 – LOL! That's very true! :D And I'm glad that you liked it!**

**Ludka – Hehe, well I hope this doesn't disappoint. I never thought of that, an Abe POV. Even though I'm sure that it'll be just variations on the many ways he wants to kill Adrian, I think that it would be very interesting. I may well do one!  
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**Maddie – Awww thank you! :') And lol, he would be!**

**Yanis – There definitely is!**

**DXR – Awww thanks sweetie. I'm glad that you liked the flashbacks too, and the paramedics and police allowing Dimitri to see Rose before she was taken to hospital. :)  
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**Ellen – Sorry for making you cry! But I'm glad that you enjoyed reading though.  
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**angela masson – Abe is most definitely going to ruin Adrian's life if he can. The kids… it's going to be so hard on them too :'( but hopefully they'll all pull through!  
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**I heart It – Hehe, that's probably how it'll turn out for the most part!  
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**Jbowencox – Thank you! I hope you'll like how it plays out.**

**MadameRozaBelikova – thanks so much for R&R'ing the three chapters you missed. I'm sorry about your cousin :'( I'm glad you liked the reunion with Lissa. Aha, I really want Janine to do that! We'll see how it plays out… And as for Rose, she's a fighter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

I winced and rubbed at my sore wrists as Abe started up the car and pulled out of the police station car park. Well, I tried to. My knuckles had been bandaged up at the police station since they were swollen and bruised after punching Adrian's lights out. Being cuffed every time I left the holding cell wasn't fun. Neither was having a guard standing three feet away as I went to the toilet and washed my hands. It was an invasion of privacy, one that I'd prayed I wouldn't have to become accustomed to.

When I'd called Abe, he hadn't been impressed. In fact, he'd cursed me out for a good five minutes, until Janine had taken the phone from him. She wasn't impressed either, but once I explained that I was in prison for beating up Adrian, they'd both perked up. Abe had told me not to call for a lawyer and not to answer any questions until he got there.

And then he'd hung up.

My jaw had dropped when he strode into the station at three o'clock in the morning. He was dressed in a navy blue suit, with a crisp white shirt and a bright, ruby red scarf tied around his neck. A thick gold chain hung around his neck, whilst a small gold hoop hung from his right ear. Despite the black, shiny briefcase that he carried, he looked like a mobster, rather than a lawyer. The police officer guarding my cell had shifted uneasily when Abe had glanced at him, and his hand had twitched towards his gun, as if to reassure himself.

Abe's saving grace was Janine. While her face was closed off and showed nothing but disinterest, she still carried an air of professionalism. She too wore a crisp, clean suit, but with a skirt instead of trousers, and her fiery red hair was pulled up into a tidy bun. Janine looked like a lawyer, and her presence calmed the nerves of the alert police officers.

In the interview room, Abe had done all the talking, apart from the times when the police wanted to hear my version of events. As I'd rehashed the memories from the previous evening, my breathing had hitched and grown uneven as I remembered the way Rose had looked, how she'd sounded when she begged for Adrian to leave her alone, and the rage that had filled my mind as I saw the knife clasped in his hand.

While the police officers interviewing me hadn't shown any emotions, their eyes had flickered with recognition as I talked, and I'd prayed that that meant they were taking my account seriously. I didn't regret what I'd done, but I didn't want to end up locked away in prison while Roza and the kids needed me.

Apparently, Adrian was still unconscious, as was Roza, but it seemed that Adrian was in slightly better shape. The alcohol was probably the main reason why he hadn't yet woken up and been questioned.

I sighed and glanced out of the window as Abe pulled into the hospital car park. I didn't know how he'd done it, but he'd gotten me off of the hook. For now at least. The police had stated that until Adrian woke up, there wasn't much they could do. And if he didn't press charges, then they wouldn't do anything. The only thing that they'd demanded I do was to sign up to see a psychiatrist every fortnight. Apparently, they felt that I'd acted the way I had because of unresolved issues with my past. In layman's terms, they thought that I'd overreacted because of what had happened between my mother and father. If that hadn't happened, if I'd had a happy childhood, they thought that I'd have thought things through more reasonably, rather than to use Adrian's body as an 'outlet for all my suppressed rage'.

I'd opened my mouth, to state that my past had nothing to do with it, when Abe shot me a look that said to take the deal.

So I had.

And now, as we made our way towards the front desk to find out where Roza was, I could appreciate why he had.

Roza was in the Intensive Care Unit, in a stable but serious condition, as was Adrian, but they were on separate wards. The receptionist had to tell us where Roza was, but she hadn't wanted to spill Adrian's whereabouts. Apparently, the police didn't want anyone to have contact with him until they'd taken his statement. Then, Abe had explained that Adrian was his 'son-in-law', and when that hadn't worked, Janine had taken me by the arm and steered me towards the small hospital shop under the pretence of buying some flowers for Roza.

By the time we came back, the receptionist was trembling and Abe was smiling victoriously.

Suddenly, I was incredibly grateful that I'd passed Abe's tests.

* * *

><p>"Did you call Mia? Are the kids okay?" My voice was unnaturally loud in the silent lift.<p>

Abe nodded as Janine's face relaxed for a moment. "Yes. Before we bailed you out we went to her flat and gave her the key Rose gave us last weekend. She took the kids to your house and is going to look after them until we get back."

"Once we know that Rose is okay, we're going to stop by Ivashkov's room," Abe's voice was thoughtful. "Just to see how much damage you did and to… assess the situation a little better. From what the police said, you beat him pretty bad. We'll let him rest up, and then we'll teach him what happens when you mess with the Mazurs."

"Hathaways, dear." Janine smiled softly and kissed her husband's chin.

"No, Mazurs." He smiled down at her indulgently. "It's the family name."

Janine smiled back at him, and then gripped his chin firmly as she wrenched his face down so that his gaze could meet her hardened glare. "I said Hathaways, Ibrahim and I meant it. Do not start this _shit_ again. Hathaway is the name used when it's family business. Mazur is used when you're conducting your stuff on the side. Got it?"

I expected Abe to threaten her, but instead his smile grew wider. "That my dear, is why I love you. Hathaways it is."

"Good." Janine's face softened as she kissed his chin once more. "And I love you too."

_What the hell have you gotten yourself into, Dimitri?_

My soon-to-be in-laws were absolutely crazy. And equally as terrifying.

But Roza was still worth it.

* * *

><p>I held my breath as the doctor walked out of Roza's room.<p>

"You're fine to go in now, I've finished and the nurse is done cleaning and changing her bandages. I think that one at a time would be best so that she isn't too overwhelmed."

"Thank you." My voice was a whisper as I motioned for Abe or Janine to go in.

"Dimitri?" Janine's hand on my arm was soft, comforting as Abe watched us with concern. "Are you okay?"

I nodded and swallowed. "I just need a minute to get my thoughts together. You two can go in first." I ran my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. "I'm fine, really."

Abe nodded and Janine kissed my cheek. "She'll be okay, Dimitri. We won't take long."

I nodded and stared at the wall as Abe opened the door and led her inside quietly. This was their time as a family to talk and comfort each other.

I needed to get my act together. I needed to be strong for Roza, to give her the strength she needed to get better and recover fully. I needed to be the man of the house and take care of everyone until we could settle back into our normal routine once again.

I sighed and scrubbed at my face. I was tired and hungry and worried. That was why I was thinking so irrationally. As soon as I saw Roza, I'd be okay. Just being in her presence was enough to calm my nerves and make me feel like everything was going to be okay.

Soft murmurs echoed from behind the door, and a moment later it opened, revealing Janine and Abe. Their faces were withdrawn, impassive when they met my eyes, until Janine glanced away as she sniffled.

"Janine?" Dread fell heavy in my stomach as she glanced up at me, tears beginning to leak from her red rimmed eyes before she turned away.

"We need to get back to the kids, Abe." Her voice was a soft whisper as he nodded and took her hand before nodding at me.

"She's asking for you, Dimitri."

I nodded and cleared my mind as I stepped through the door and glanced in Roza's direction. My breath caught in my throat, and tears sprung to my eyes as I saw her. I'd thought I was prepared, but now that I was here…

I swallowed and walked over to the bedside to sit in the small, lumpy chair that was placed there for visitors to use.

Roza looked so small and delicate from her position in the middle of the bed. Her hair was lank and lifeless, with dried blood staining the dark brown a dull drown colour. Gauze was taped to her forehead, whilst the swelling on her face was beginning to go down. However, that only meant her bruises could be seen more clearly as they darkened and stood out on her tanned skin. A tube lead from the ventilation machine to her nose, and there were small wires that snuck from underneath her hospital gown to the heart monitor behind her head.

Right now, it was beeping in a slow, steady rhythm, and I prayed that it would stay that way.

Her right arm was in a cast and anger flashed through my body once again while my heart felt like it was tearing into two. I couldn't see any more of her injuries, but I was pretty sure that a broken arm wasn't the worst of it.

Roza's eyes had been closed, but as my gaze travelled back up her body to her face, they opened. They were red rimmed, just like her mother's had been.

I took her small hand in mine and softly rubbed the smooth skin of her palm. "Hey." My voice cracked, so I cleared my throat and tried again. "How are you feeling?"

She shifted and winced, before giving me a watery smile. "Okay. The pain meds are wearing off. Or maybe they're only just kicking in. I don't know."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV. <strong>

Pain dominated Dimitri's features as I winced. Every inch of my body hurt, but I squeezed his bandaged hand gently. "The doctor said I'm going to be fine." My ribs hurt when I even breathed, so talking was a luxury that I couldn't afford at that point in time.

His soft eyes met mine, but as they passed over my bruised features, and the heavy gauze and bandages that adorned almost every inch of my body they hardened and turned black with anger.

"I'll kill him. If he doesn't get thrown into jail for the rest of his pathetic life, I'll hunt him down and kill him."

It shocked me to hear the venom in his voice, and that must have shown in my expression because his own features softened. "I'm sorry, Roza. I'm just so-" He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes as his shoulders shook. "I promised I'd never let him hurt you again, and look what he did. What he was planning to do-" His voice cracked, and sadness washed over me.

"Dimitri, come here. Please." He didn't move, and so I ignored the doctor's orders and tried to shift closer to him. That didn't work. A shocked gasp left my lips as my hips twinged sharply, causing Dimitri's head to jerk up as he sniffled and looked at me with bloodshot eyes.

"Don't move, Roza."

"Come here."

"You'll get hurt." His voice was quiet, vulnerable like a child's as he swiped at his eyes.

I shook my head. "Right now, it's hurting me more by not having you by my side. Please."

He stared at me for a long minute before nodding as he stood and walked over to the door to switch off the light. Then he quietly removed his shoes and jumper before her climbed up onto the bed. I winced as he shifted slightly to lie down, as the movement rocked my body, but once his arms slipped around my waist and I was able to rest my head on his chest, I felt safe. And that feeling of being protected was well worth any physical pain it brought.

"It's not your fault." My voice whispered though the dark room as his fingers trailed down my side gently, without putting pressure on any of my injuries.

"I was so close to you, Roza. So close…" His chest shuddered as he started to cry softly, and tears leaked out of my own eyes. "And yet, he hurt you so badly. If I'd been even a second later-"

"It's okay."

"No it's not. You could have _died_, Roza!" His voice was desperate as he rolled onto his side and shifted down the bed so he could stare into my eyes. "He had a knife! That's not okay, Rose. It's nowhere near _okay_."

"I know." My voice broke. "But right now, what I need is for you to tell me that it's going to be okay. That what happened isn't a big deal, and that I'll be fine when I wake up tomorrow, and that things like this won't ever happen again. For tonight, I need to feel like that's the worst of it. I need you to lie to me and to fool me into thinking that nothing bad will ever happen again. I need- I need-" My voice cut off as the lump in my throat grew, and I cried in Dimitri's arms.

We were both hurting, and we were both frightened, and neither of us knew what was going to happen next.

* * *

><p>I sighed as I stared at the ceiling and tried to ignore the light aching behind my temples. I'd been in hospital for two days now, and Dimitri hadn't left my side. At first he'd refused to sleep on the bed with me, and had insisted upon trying to sleep in the tiny wooden chair beside my bed, but after I had my first nightmare and he'd woken up with a stiff neck and aching muscles, he'd realised that sleeping next to me was best for both of us.<p>

He'd called Lissa, and she was going to come down at the weekend. My mum and dad had been in once more to bring us both some clothes, but since then they'd stayed back, and looked after the kids for us so Dimitri could stay with me.

The kids. I sighed. How was I going to explain what had happened? How was I going to explain my sudden absence? They were smart, they knew that something was wrong, but would they be able to understand it?

My parents were seething. I'd been shocked and alarmed when my mum had started crying and her tears had set me off as well. If she was showing that much emotion about me, it meant that I was in really bad shape.

"_No, kiz. The only reason Ivashkov isn't dead yet is because I wanted to make sure you were okay. The severity of your condition denoted how much I fucked him over. If you'd died, I didn't want him to get off easily by being killed. I wanted him to suffer. In fact… I still do. As soon as he's healed up enough to be released, he's going to end up back in Intensive Care. And that's going to happen repeatedly until he begs for me to end it and just kill him."_

"_Da-"_

_My dad's eyes glittered dangerously. "I'm a nice guy. I'll grant him his wish."_

Even after everything he'd done to me, I hoped that my dad would stay away from Adrian. I didn't want him to end up dead, and I didn't want my dad to do anything to him. All I wanted to do was press charges, take his sorry ass to court, and then to move on with my life.

I had a wedding to plan.

And just as suddenly, worry clenched in the pit of my stomach. Would we even be able to get married now? It was April, almost May, and we wanted to get married in September. I had to wait for six weeks for my cast to come off, and the doctors said that it was likely to be a further two to four weeks before I'd be able to walk properly. That only left a month and a half for me to gain back the little muscle tone and strength I'd had before the incident. Would I be able to do it? Would I put on loads of weight and be able to lose it again before the big day? Would we have to postpone the wedding just so we could ensure that everything would run to plan? I mean, what if I didn't recover as quickly as the doctors felt I would? And what if Adrian pressed charges against Dimitri despite me pressing charges against him? Wou-

"Knock knock." Mia's worried voice echoed as she and the kids poked their heads around the door. "Can we come in?"

I smiled - well, I tried to - and beckoned for them to come inside, whilst being careful not to jostle my injuries too much, or Dimitri who was still sleeping. "Of course you can."

The kids were all silent as they filed over to stand by my side of the bed. "How are you guys feeling? I'm sorry I haven't been home."

They stayed silent for a moment until Sophia burst into tears and Tom backed away with wide, fearful eyes. "You got hurt." Tears sparked in his eyes as he turned tail and ran from the room.

"Tom!" I tried to sit up, only to gasp with pain as my ribs and back twinged with pain. Sophia sobbed harder and clutched at Alyssa's hand. "Take her and find Tom." Katrina nodded and pulled them from the room.

There was my answer for the kids.

My lip trembled as I tried to compose myself. Theirs was a natural reaction. They shouldn't have had to see me like this. The police had taken my statement the day after I woke up, so we were on the way to getting our family back on track.

"Whoa." Mia's eyes widened as she noticed all the wires that hooked me up to the large machines behind my head. Then her gaze settled on Dimitri. "He looks exhausted."

I nodded. "He's worn out both emotionally and physically. Neither of us has been able to sleep properly. Plus, I think my worrying about what the police will do to him once Adrian wakes up has started to get to him too."

A defensive scowl crept onto her features. "That slime bag deserved everything he got. There's no way Dimitri will be seen as the one in the wrong. And besides, if Dimitri was going to be charged, he wouldn't be here right now. Adrian knows he's got bigger things to worry about, namely, getting a good enough lawyer to ensure that the judge doesn't lock him up for what he did to you. Dimitri should have used the goddamned knife. The police will see it as self-defence, Rose."

I frowned. "Mia, Adrian is in intensive care right n-"

"So are _you_! The police aren't going to ignore that fact, or that the CCTV showed that Adrian was waiting there deliberately. Rose, you didn't see what you looked like, okay? You weren't the one who got the call from Dimitri, wondering why it had taken you twenty minutes to turn up when you said you were almost at the car. He thought you'd gone back for something. Imagine what was going through his mind when I told him that you'd left half an hour ago, and then again, when he found you in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs, with Adrian standing over you with a _knife_! He reacted the exact way you'd expect anyone to react if they found their fiancée beaten to a pulp by their ex-husband! Dimitri asked the doctors just how much damage Adrian did, and though they couldn't tell him everything when he asked, we got the gist of it. You had a concussion and your spinal column has heavy bruising. They think that you might have chipped one of your vertebrae or a slipped disc or something like that. You're lucky that you didn't seriously damage your spinal column. Your right leg, well your whole lower body. It's a mess. You're going to be on bed rest for God only knows how long. Your hips – close to broken. Your right arm – it _is_ broken. Everything else on you is a mass of cuts and bruises. And you're worrying about the fucker who did it to you."

I flinched and her eyes blazed. "It's the truth, Rose and you need to face it. If Dimitri hadn't been there, you'd be _dead_ right now. Your kids wouldn't have a mother anymore. Is that what you want?"

"No of course not, it's j-"

"Are you happy about the way they reacted a minute ago?"

"No," Tears welled up in my eyes. "But Ad-"

"You want Dimitri to end up in the church for your funeral, rather than your wedding? You want to be saying goodbye when you should be saying hello to your new start together?"

"Stop it, okay! Just-" Tears rolled down my cheeks as Mia's outburst jolted Dimitri from sleep. "Adrian was drunk. I'm terrified, but I know that that will affect what happens to him. Dimitri wasn't! And the police will take that into account, as will Adrian's lawyer. He'll use that as an excuse, and the lawyer will use the fact that he was drunk as a reason why he couldn't defend himself properly. _He'll_ be seen as the victim and Dimitri won't, regardless of the fact that he was helping me. The question isn't what do I want, but how much longer do we have together before it all comes to a head? What am I supposed to do when I lose him Mia? What-"

Dimitri's eyes widened as he gingerly pulled my shaking body into his arms. "Roza," His lips pressed against my bandaged temple as he ran a hand through my hair. "Calm down. You need to calm your breathing."

The monitor behind my head beeped like crazy as my chest heaved and I struggled to slow my breaths.

"I can't- I can't-" Fear clamped down on my chest as I started to panic, which only made it worse. "Dim-" I gasped and tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I struggled to inhale properly.

"Rose," Mia's eyes were wide with fright as Dimitri sat up and slammed his hand down on the call button for the nurse.

"Go make sure the nurse is coming Mia. And then take the kids home please. Roza's parents are coming up to the hospital in a few hours."

My eyes shut as my crying picked up.

I was going to die. How ironic that Adrian's crazy attack hadn't done it, but my own body was going to finish me off.

"Roza," Dimitri's smooth, warm palms cupped my cheeks and forced me to open my eyes. "Calm down. Don't think about the fact that it's hard to breathe. Just focus on slowing your mind. Think about something that makes you happy."

My chest didn't feel quite as tight as I shut my eyes and focused on the soothing sound of his voice as he murmured to me.

"That's better, Roza. Keep it up."

My fingers twisted into the bed sheets, causing pain to radiate up my right arm, which made me gasp and fall off track.

The nurse burst into the room and Dimitri's face relaxed as she placed an oxygen mask over my face. "Try to time your breaths with the mask, honey. It'll give you something to focus on and make it easier to breathe. I nodded and my gaze met Dimitri's as she bustled around for a minute before injecting something into my IV. "This will knock you out for a few hours, but that's for the best. Your body needs to recover, and that sort of internal stress isn't going to do you any good."

Dimitri nodded and softly brushed the hair out of my eyes as she checked my stats and the IV one last time, before heading back out of the room.

"Get some sleep, Roza. You need it."

I couldn't form the words to tell him what I wanted, but he laid down next to me without me having to ask for it. I smiled drowsily as his arm slipped around my waist lightly and he kissed my forehead once again as I struggled to keep my eyes open. "Sleep, Roza. I'll still be here when you wake up."

* * *

><p>"Roza?"<p>

Dimitri's voice was a soft whisper as I woke up and shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes?"

My hospital room was dark, but from the hallway lights that shone in through the window panes of the door, I could make out the features of Dimitri's face.

He looked tired, stressed, worried, and the sight made my heart ache.

"Have you slept at all?" My voice was a light murmur as I lifted my fingers to trace along the side of his jaw. My ribs still ached, but as they healed, I could make small movements without pain flowing through my body.

His dark eyes flickered down to meet mine and he sighed. "I can't. My mind won't rest."

"Why not?"

He paused for a second, and then his body slumped with resignation. "I'm wondering what's going to happen with us once this all goes to court. Will Adrian press charges against me and try to use that to take the heat off of his back. Will you win your case this time around? Will Miss. Valdez, the lawyer your dad hired be as good as he says she is, or will she decide that she doesn't want to be involved with a case like ours? What about Katrina – will Adrian use the fact that she's living with us without his and Camille's permission as leverage in the case?"

"You really have been thinking this through."

He nodded and craned his neck forwards so that he could kiss the crown of my head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you while you're still trying to heal up."

I shook my head. "I can't ignore it forever. And I brought it on myself with all the worrying I did during the first two days when I wasn't sleeping or bitching about the fact that the doctors wouldn't let me go home. But as the police said, my case is already very strong, solely from the physical evidence they have. When they get statements and testimonies from everybody else, it'll be even better."

I paused, and then put my thoughts into words. "As for Katrina… how would you feel about legally adopting her?"

Dimitri carefully tilted my face up to meet his hand brushed his lips against mine. "How would you feel about me adopting Alyssa, Tom and Sophia as my own when we get married?"

My breath caught. "I'd love that."

He grinned and pressed his lips against mine softly. "There's your answer."

* * *

><p><strong>I have coursework due on Tuesday, and an exam in a week and a half. I will try my hardest to update again before the 16<strong>**th**** of December, but I'm not making any promises as my university work has to come first.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and fingers crossed that there'll be another one very soon! xx**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One.**

**I've noticed that some people have their PM system disabled. That means that I can't reply back to your reviews or messages, so thank you for reviewing, I really appreciate it!**

**DXR – I definitely will! Things are going to stay intense, but there's still going to be lots of romance and light going on :) Hehe, Janine and Abe crack me up. I'm sure he'll get his balls back some day! :D Thanks for the good luck wishes for my exams, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Ludka – I couldn't do that. Lol, I don't think I could be quite so evil. But lol, it's probably a good thing you didn't mention it, otherwise my evil side might have written it into the story! :O Lol. And I'm glad that you enjoyed the JxA scene :)**

**I'm back! :) And boy does it feel good to be writing again! Thank you all for waiting patiently, now here's your reward.**

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

It had been another three days since Dimitri and I had spoken about adopting the kids.

The bruises on my face and body had gone down and started to fade from their deep purple hue to a sickly sort of yellow. My skull was still tender and sore in patches where I'd hit my head against the concrete steps, and my ribs still ached if I spoke too much for too long, but I could feel the better changes as my body healed. I was bed bound until my hips healed completely, and if I wanted to turn onto my side, it took two nurses to help me, so that I didn't disrupt the healing patterns of the bones. My right arm was fucked, but the surgeon had said that over time, and with regular physiotherapy sessions, it would be close to being as good as new. It would still have some weaknesses, like all broken bones did, but Adrian's attack hadn't messed it up beyond repair.

* * *

><p><strong>Camille POV.<strong>

I was desperate.

When Adrian had first mumbled to me months ago during one of his drunken slurs that he was going to take care of his 'little problem', I hadn't thought much of it. But when he went out and actually bought a gun, I knew I had to do something. But I didn't know what to do.

And a tiny part of me hoped that he was bluffing. That he was just cracking under the pressure, and a little love and care form me would set him back on the right path.

I didn't care what he did to Rose, her kids or to the man in her life, but I couldn't let him kill Katrina. I didn't particularly like her, but I was her mother, and I loved her. That was the reason why I hadn't fought Rose when she'd refused to let Adrian bring Katrina home. Rose was one of those caring, loving, motherly figures, the type of mum that every child should have. Katrina needed that, and I couldn't give it to her.

I was fine with Daniel, but something about Katrina just threw me off. After her birth, the doctors had diagnosed me with post-natal depression, but no matter how much therapy I had, or how many 'bonding' sessions I tried to instigate, I just couldn't seem to connect with her, or find the will to want to get to know her. God knows I'd tried, countless times, but we just never… clicked. Not in the way that she and Rose had. If I hadn't been the one to go through the nine months of pregnancy, and the four hour labour, I would have believed that she was Rose's child.

She'd fitted into their family perfectly, and I was happy for her. She'd finally found her place, her role where she was loved and accepted for who she was.

She belonged there.

But not now.

I needed to get her back before it was too late. No matter how happy she was with Rose, no matter how detached we were from each other, I couldn't let Adrian kill her.

If she was back in our house, he wouldn't lay a finger on her little blonde head.

My motherly instincts had kicked in as soon as I'd put the pieces together and realised what Adrian was planning. No matter how much she would hate me for it, I was going to get my daughter back, and make sure that no harm came to her.

I owed her that much.

I needed to find Rose and talk to her. Adrian was asleep again after convincing the nurse into doping him up on pain medication. I hadn't been allowed to see or speak to him for the first three days, because the police hadn't spoken to him, but once they had, I'd been the first one in to see him.

Well, technically speaking, I'd been the only one in to see him, since his parents didn't know very much about his life down here in Leicester. He didn't get on with his father, and so, by default, he didn't talk to his mother all that much either. Sometimes I wondered if they even knew that I and their grandchildren existed.

But that wasn't my cause for concern. Adrian's plan was.

"_It's all her fault." His drowsy eyes met mine, but anger shone brightly in them before softening as they met my startle d ones. "Don't worry; I'm going to sort all of them. Especially that foreign fucker and the little blonde brat. I'm not going to send him to prison. That takes too long. I want him out, and then I'll deal with them all at once. We'll have our happy ending Camille, and we won't have to worry about any of them ever again." _

And then he'd grinned and told me once again what he'd bought, and what he planned to do with it.

And that only left me with one choice.

Quietly, I stood and left Adrian's hospital room. Rose had pressed charges against him for his assault, and tomorrow morning he was going to be transferred from the hospital to jail. His lawyer, Ralf Sarcozy, was already drawing up a draft of some document for his defence, and to hopefully get him off of the hook before the case went to court. None of us were naïve enough to think that Adrian would be able to win if Rose's case went to court. It was too strong, and covered too many bases. All we could hope, what Adrian was hoping for, was that Ralf would find a loophole of some sort and be able to exploit it to our advantage.

Another thing that we were trying to stop was Rose's requests for Adrian to pay back the child support he owed her. Twenty thousand pounds of my money was not going into her bank account. I knew that there was no chance Adrian would pay it, and if he did, he wasn't going to use his own money. I would give Rose money for Katrina's welfare, but I wasn't paying for her other three children. They were Adrian's, and so, he would be the one to support them.

My stomach twisted with nerves as I made my way down the corridor leading to Rose's room. I hoped that she'd at least hear me out and consider my words before she made a decision.

I took a deep breath before I knocked on the door and crossed my fingers. I was here for Katrina. I was doing this for her own good.

"It's open." Rose's voice was strong, yet soft as I pushed the door open a crack. Her boyfriend wasn't there, and my posture relaxed a little. I wasn't confident enough to do this with an audience.

"Can I come in?" My voice reflected my anxiety as I stepped into the room, and Rose's jaw dropped.

"Camille?" Her face plainly showed her shock, while I gasped. There were so many machines and tubes and wires all hooked up to her. Some of them were switched off, but the amount that still surrounded her was astonishing.

God, Adrian had made it sound like he just pushed her over and she scraped her knee. This… my hands shook as my stomach twisted.

"Can I sit down please?"

She nodded and I almost collapsed into the chair beside her bed when I reached it. "I-" The words died on my lips. What did I say? What could I say? "I'm sorry."

Shock flared up in Rose's eyes once again. "For what? You're not the one who did this to me."

"I know, but," I swallowed. "I'm still sorry, for what Adrian did. I had no idea he'd hurt you so badly…" My words trailed off as my gaze flickered over her injured body, before zeroing in on her left hand. "You're getting married?"

She nodded and moved her hand out of my sight. "Yes." Her voice was stiff. "Not to be rude, Camille, but why are you here? You didn't find me to have a friendly conversation."

"You're right; I didn't. I came to talk to you about Katrina. Adrian…" I sighed and raked my hands through my hair. How did I phrase it right? I couldn't just blurt out 'Adrian's going to kill her and your boyfriend'.

"Is not coming anywhere near her. I'm sorry, Camille, but I can't let you take her home if Adrian's going to be there. I know that you're her mother, and I have no right to take her away from you, but I can't let Adrian's attitude and actions hurt her any more than they already have." She paused, and this time her voice was the one laced with nerves. "In fact, I was going to call you in a few days, but I may as well do it while you're here. Dimitri and I… we're getting married as you now know. And we want to legally adopt Katrina…"

My heart stopped.

No.

Yes.

This was what was best for Katrina. For her to really be a member of their family, and they wanted her to be a part, but she couldn't. Not yet. Not ever, if Adrian had his way.

"… We're getting the paperwork that we need to get it done. You don't have to do anything, just read it through and then when we have our court date, we all sign it and it's done. Katrina won't be your responsibility anymore, and Adrian will do the same for our kids so they won't be his responsibility either. We can all go our separate ways."

"Rose, I- I can't."

"What?" Her eyes widened and her face fell.

"I- Katrina-" I sighed. "You can't have Katrina. I have to take her home with me. Please Rose."

"No." Her voice was firm, and a protective edge had entered it. "I told you Camille, I'm not letting her go back there."

"Rose-"

"No!" Her voice was practically a shout and I cringed back into my seat.

"Okay." My voice sounded defeated, but my mind was spinning, desperately trying to think up another solution. "Look, Rose, I understand that you love and care for Katrina as your own. I wouldn't have let you keep her if I didn't know that. And I know that staying with you is the best thing for her. But-" My voice cracked and trembled. "I need her back. I can't explain why, but I do. I'm asking you, mother to mother, to let me have my daughter back, if only for a few months. Please."

"Camille," She paused and sighed. "I can't. Everything inside of me is screaming not to. I know what she'd be going back to, and I promised Katrina that I wouldn't let it happen again. That she wouldn't have to stay there while Adrian's there."

"Adrian's not there!" My voice was tinged with desperation. "Or, he won't be. The police are taking him into custody tomorrow."

"And what about when he's released from custody?" Her voice was sceptical. "He's allowed out during the trial, and Katrina's life becomes a living hell."

"No." I shook my head wildly and grasped her hand in mine, before pulling back when she winced. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you even more."

She grimaced, but didn't bitch me out. "It was an accident. Don't worry about it."

I took a deep breath and met her eyes squarely. "I won't argue or push for more. I'll sign the papers giving you full parental control and rights for Katrina, and I'll make sure that Adrian also signs them and the ones concerning your children if you let me have Katrina back. Just for a few months." Her frown didn't waver, so I haggled. "Or for less time if Adrian's released sooner."

She didn't say anything, but I knew I had her interest. "Please, Rose. Just let me spend some time with my daughter before I lose her completely."

Something in my tone must have struck her as genuine because she nodded. "I'll have to talk to Dimitri about it before I say yes. And you should talk to Adrian about it too, to make sure that he's okay with giving up his rights."

I nodded, and in a move that surprised myself, I leant forwards to hug her gently. "Thank you." Tears brimmed in my eyes as I squeezed them shut. You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you, Rose. Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

Something struck me as odd and I frowned as Camille left the room.

Katrina had been a part of our family for almost a year now, with no interventions from either her father or mother. Why was Camille suddenly so desperate to get her back? Why had she been practically begging me to let her spend a little while with her daughter, before she had to give her up for good? I mean, I could understand why you'd want to spend time with your child before you lost them, but this timing was a little random. She hadn't even known that I was going to request to adopt Katrina.

A chill of foreboding ran down my spine, and I made a note to tell Dimitri as soon as he arrived back at the hospital.

* * *

><p>"Dimitri, calm down. I think that she genuinely wants to spend some time with her daughter."<p>

"And what if she's double crossing us with some sick, twisted scheme that Adrian cooked up?"

I shook my head. I really don't think she is, Dimitri. If she was, she could have just gone to the police and forced our hand. She's willing to give Katrina up; she just wants to spend some time with her first. She's still her mother, Dimitri."

Dimitri's face softened at my words. "That's true. But I remember what Katrina was like on that first day when she came round for dinner. I'd hate to see her relapse and end up as scared and fragile as she was before."

I nodded and angled my body into his as he stopped pacing and got into the hospital bed to lie down with me. "I don't want to see that happen to her either. But Adrian's not going to be there. I think that he's the main problem. She's going to stay with Camille for two months, if that, and if Adrian's released from police custody before that, then she'll be back home with us even sooner."

"And how does that tie in to us getting parental responsibility?"

I sighed and used my good hand to trace the outline of his muscles through his top. "Camille's going to sign the papers straight away. So we'll hopefully be viewed as Katrina's parents in the eyes of the law within a few months. Therefore, if she was trying to get Katrina back so we couldn't have her, we'd have the law backing us up. This way is a lot easier, Dimitri. We won't have to endure any extra court battles. She'll be ours, in time for our wedding." I smiled. "And if we say yes, that means that all of our kids will be able to really become _our_ kids."

He smiled and kissed the top of my head. "But will Katrina be okay with it?"

I nodded. "I asked her when you brought the kids up earlier. She understands what it means, and she says that Camille isn't so bad when Adrian's not there. I think Camille will be nicer since it'll be their last few weeks together, and they'll end their relationship on a good note."

"Okay. I understand what you're saying, and if you feel okay about it, then I'm okay about it."

* * *

><p>I squirmed nervously in my hospital bed as I waited for Ms. Valdez to arrive. Dimitri's large hand enveloped mine as he rubbed soothing circles into the palm of my hand.<p>

"Roza, calm down."

I fiddled with the edge of the bed sheet and sighed. "I'm just nervous. What if she decides that our case isn't worth her time or expertise? I mean, if my dad hired her, that means she's one of the best."

Dimitri grimaced at the mention of my dad. "I'm sure that if your dad hired her, she either chose to take on our case, or didn't have a choice. She'll do a good job."

"That's true." I grinned. "Did my dad try to go all 'scary mobster' on you?"

"No." Dimitri shuddered. "He and your mother had a… I don't think argument would be the right word for it."

"She told him what was going to happen and he did it?" Dimitri nodded and I laughed. "My old man is so whipped. Has been ever since he set eyes on my mother." I laughed again and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. "I wonder if it rubbed off on me…"

Dimitri looked offended. "I am not 'whipped'."

I snorted. "Mia, your own mother and your sisters all think that you are."

"Well-" Dimitri's protests were cut off by three sharps raps at the door, and my nerves flew into overdrive once again.

"Come in." Thankfully, my voice wasn't as shaky as I felt.

The door clicked and swung open, and Dimitri squeezed my hand comfortingly. Ms. Valdez wasn't anything like what I'd been expecting. She was my height with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I was reminded of Mia's doll like features when I studied her, but her face was more angular, her hair longer and straighter, and Mia's eyes reminded me of an ocean on a calm day. You never knew whether it would stay calm and peaceful, or show its angry temperament and become uncontrollable. Ms. Valdez's were sharp and alert, and didn't seem to miss even the smallest detail as she looked me over; her eyes scanning every inch of my body before she frowned and scribbled something down on her notepad.

Her attire was extremely professional. She had on a light blue shirt, along with a black pinstriped suit. Small, oval framed glasses sat perched on the bridge of her nose as she picked up my stats sheet from the base of the bed and flicked through it quickly before writing on her notepad once again.

"Ms. Valdez." Dimitri stood up from his seat beside me and offered his chair for her to sit on.

"Thank you." She smiled politely and took the chair, but made sure to move it a little further back so we both had some breathing space.

"Would it be better for me to leave the room?"

She shook her head and smiled. "It's fine. Would you prefer to stay with Ms. Hathaway?"

"Call me Rose. Ms. Hathaway sounds so formal and boring." Dimitri chuckled at my interruption as he crossed the room to sit on the bed next to me.

"Okay Rose. You can call me Charlotte." Her smile this time was warm and genuine, and I felt some of my anxiety easing off. "Let's get to business, shall we?"

I nodded and swallowed heavily as Dimitri's hand tightened around mine for a second as he sat up straight.

"You wish to press charges against Mr. Ivashkov?" I nodded once again and then had to fight the urge to giggle hysterically as she nodded back at me. "I've read over the statements regarding your case, and all of the statements regarding the incident that occurred just under a week ago. If we really push this the courts can, and hopefully will, sentence him under; soliciting to commit murder, possession and acquisition of certain prohibited weapons, violent disorder, wounding and grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, unlawful wounding, as well as assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Indecent assault on a woman, having an article with a blade or point in a public place, putting people in fear of violence, perverting the course of justice and concealing an arrestable offence. Overall, if we can get him charged on even a few offences, he's looking at a life sentence. Several life sentences actually. We're also going to try and push the judge into ruling that he also has to pay back all the child support he's owed you. At the moment Mr. Ivashkov earns more than two hundred pounds a week, so he'll pay the basic rate, which is a percentage of his income rather than a standard amount. He'll pay twenty five percent of his income because you had three children together. This is off of the top of my head, but he earns around one thousand five hundred pounds a month. Twenty five percent of that is three hundred and seventy five pounds. I'm trying to get the courts to organise it so he starts making payments as soon as possible. If we're successful, he'll also have to pay you back for the past four and a half years. That equals around twenty thousand, two hundred and fifty pounds in child support that you're owed, and then he'll also start making up to date payments."

_Twenty thousand, two hundred and fifty pounds._ My breath caught and I gasped. Twenty _thousand_ pounds was an incredible amount of money. "I- I can really press charges for that much?"

Charlotte nodded and her eyes flashed with determination. "Rose, I will personally make sure that you get everything that's owed to you, and more. What Ivashkov did, and has done is despicable. He shouldn't have been free to harm you the way he did. This time, things are going to be done right, and he'll end up in prison where he belongs."

* * *

><p>After the initial meeting with Charlotte Valdez, things had been pretty straightforward.<p>

The police had documentation of what had happened to me from the start, in the form of statements about the incident in the car park, the hospital report of my injuries, and the previous hospital report from the first time that Adrian had seriously beaten me up. The courts and lawyers couldn't brush my words off like they had before. This time, what Adrian had done was so severe… it could make the headlines in the news. And that was one story they wouldn't want to get out, especially if the details of the first case came to light.

The investigation had begun almost as soon as I submitted my statement. As far as I knew, it was still in the early stages, and so the police were studying and looking into everything I'd reported. That meant, they were doing background checks on both Adrian and I, shedding light into every nook and cranny of our private and public lives.

Charlotte had grinned at my appalled face, before explaining that it meant the police would hopefully 'uncover even more dirt on the scum bag'. They'd already found proof that he'd been cheating on me with Camille – Adrian was named on both Katrina and Daniel's birth certificates as the father, just as he was on Alyssa, Tom and Sophia's. The fact that I had a marriage certificate only furthered my case.

The only part of the investigation I wasn't happy about was Charlotte's suggestions for me to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. Dimitri had been coerced by the police into seeing one because of the thrashing he'd given Adrian.

I did _not_ want to see a psychiatrist.

I had been poked and prodded and examined by countless doctors. Nurses had scrubbed me down despite my embarrassment and protests, because I wasn't allowed to move from my bed until the fractures to my pelvis had healed up.

Charlotte had said that my results from being evaluated could help further my case.

I didn't see how, and frankly, I didn't care.

* * *

><p>"I am not happy about this."<p>

Dimitri sighed. We'd had this… conversation several times. "I know, Roza."

"Good."

"Can't you just try to grin and bear it? It's for your own goo-"

I ignored his suggestion and hollered up the street to the kids. "Guys slow down! I can't go that fast with this _thing_."

Dimitri laughed as the kids continued to run ahead and ignore my complaints about my mode of transport.

"Roza, we'll get there when we get there. Don't make me turn this chair around and take you home. In fact, no, I won't, because that's what you want me to do. If you don't stop sulking I'll book you in for double appointments _and_ drag you along to my psychiatry sessions too."

"If you do that you will be relegated to sleeping _alone_ on the sofa for the rest of your life." I threatened him. "Or in a tent in the back garden until you understand why I _hate_ this wheelchair." I scowled. "Why couldn't they have given me one of those electric ones? And why are you walking so slowly?" I sighed and rested my head in my good hand. "This sucks."

He chuckled again. "You'd miss me too much if you kicked me out of our bed. And this chair does not 'suck'. You're just not used to being so dependent. You've been cooped up indoors for close to a month on bed rest. Your hips have only just healed up, so let's try and keep it that way. I don't want to see you in a hospital bed again anytime soon."

"What about when I have check-ups?"

Even though I couldn't see his face I could tell that Dimitri was rolling his eyes.

"With the exception of check-ups, smarty pants."

"What about if I was having a baby?"

His laughter cut off as he stopped pushing the chair. I frowned and craned my head back to find him staring down at me. "Do you want another baby?" His voice was filled with trepidation and… hope?

I was not expecting that answer or reaction. "I- Well- I was just joking around. I, I mean I've already gone through that experience three times," I wrinkled my nose. "Too much pain. I don't really fancy going through it all over again." I paused and studied him. "Why, do you?"

His cheeks flushed slightly as he dropped my gaze. "I've never really thought about it before. I mean, we already have four kids, and I'm too old and-" He scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I just wonder about it sometimes. I'm happy with what we've got."

"Yes, but if a baby is something that you want in your life then we need to talk about it, Dimitri. Trust me, the experience of the entire pregnancy and having a new born is a complete contrast to a three year old or a five year old, or a ten year old. You can't compare what you've been through with the kids when you became a part of our lives to what it's like to hold your baby for the first time. Or to see them on the scanner in the doctor's surgery, or with your own eyes when they're born. You can't substitute that."

He nodded and grabbed the handles to my wheelchair. "We need to catch up to the kids."

"And you need to stop trying to change my focus now that you brought up the subject."

"I'm not. They're almost at the building."

"Fine. You win this round, Belikov. But we _will_ talk more about this tonight – once we get back from this stupid psychiatrist session."

He nodded and started to push my chair again, successfully avoiding my gaze as he glanced up to make sure the pavement was clear. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Dimitri and the kids were going to 'take a stroll around the block' while I had my session and arrive back in time to pick me up.<p>

"Hello, Rose." I glared into the smiling face of Dr. Sonya Karp.

However, my dark mood didn't deter her from pressing ahead with our session.

She asked me all the generic questions that quacks seemed to ask, and I answered them. Sometimes. Then we moved onto the grittier side of things.

"… So, Rose. Why do you think Adrian did those things to you?"

I shrugged and dropped her gaze; all of my witty comebacks dry up in my throat. This was what I'd been afraid of, that she'd keep digging and digging until I'd bared my soul so to speak. I had armour up around people I didn't know, and I was reluctant to let it down. I was vulnerable right now, and I couldn't let anyone take advantage of that fact.

"Rose. It's okay to be afraid. We don't have to talk about that part of your life today if you don't want to."

"I don't want to talk about that part ever."

"Don't you think that you need to talk about it? To understand it and to deal with it?"

I shook my head. "I understand why it happened. I get it. And I understand now that it wasn't my fault."

"What wasn't your fault?"

"The way that Adrian treated me." My voice was a whisper. "The things he said."

"Things like what?"

I realised too late that she'd coaxed me into opening up, but now that I'd started I couldn't stop. It felt good to get it off of my chest, to tell someone without fear of them judging me for it.

"That I was dumb. And ugly. That I wasn't worth his time or attention or love. That I was a bad mother, and that I deserved everything I got – that I brought it upon myself."

"And did you agree with him?"

"At the time… yes. I blamed our arguments on my fluctuating hormones during the pregnancies. And the other times, I was convinced that I was overreacting, and that was why we continued to argue. I saw him as my boyfriend from sixth form, not my husband and the father of my kids. I didn't see how he was changing in front of my eyes, because I didn't want to see it. I wanted to believe that it was just a phase, and that things would go back to normal."

"Do you still feel like that?"

I swallowed heavily and shook my head. "No. Dimitri's helped me so much. God, I was so broken when he met me, and he was so patient and kind and caring. He took the time to get to know me, and he helped me when I hit rock bottom once again. He's never abandoned me the way that Adrian did."

"But you're scared that he will?"

I shook my head adamantly. "At first, I was. I freaked out every time he showed a sign of committing to our relationship because I was terrified that we'd end up following the same path that I had with Adrian. But he stuck it out and braved all my freak outs, and calmed my insecurities, and we've come out stronger." I smiled and wiped at the corners of my eyes.

"So you're hero worshipping him?"

"What?" Shock covered my features before morphing into anger. "I am not a naïve idiot who sees Dimitri as some perfect Prince Charming who'll solve all of my problems. He is my fiancé and I love him. Simple as. He's helped me a lot, both before we became a couple and afterwards."

I fumbled with the zipper on my bag, trying to undo it singlehandedly since my right arm was still in a cast, so I could call Dimitri to come and get me.

"Rose." Sonya's voice was calming and apologetic. "I didn't mean to offend you. I was simply trying to-"

"To do your job. Yeah, I've heard that before. All of the shitty questions you've been asking are stolen from television shows. You'd think that for the amount you're charging you'd at least have the decency to come up with your own stuff."

Rather than be offended or to bitch me out for what I'd said, she paused and studied me. "Why do you fight back so aggressively when it comes down to others, yet when it's you, you seem to lose all of your firepower?" My hand faltered and stilled as she continued. "When we spoke earlier, about Dimitri, your kids, your job, you were incredibly defensive about your life. You didn't back down from a fight. Just now, some of that fire lit up in your eyes again. Your posture changed. Yet, as soon as the conversation shifts to you; or more specifically, you and Adrian, you wilt like a cut flower."

I glared, but stopped wrestling with the zipper to my bag. "And what's your Mickey Mouse solution then?"

Annoyingly, she just smiled calmly back at me. "Well, we need to find a suitable outlet for all of this anger you have towards Adrian. I suggest kick boxing or something aggressive, that doesn't require you physically grappling with anyone until you're ready. What you learn in those classes will also help you with your self-defence, which is something every woman needs in this day and age. Or, something calming like yoga, that stops you from internalising your feelings and brings them to the forefront of your mind, and so, forces you to deal with them, and then, let them go." I nodded thoughtfully as her smile turned wicked. "But firstly, we need to book you in for another session. How about next Tuesday?"

* * *

><p>"This is a bunch of shit." I was sat up in bed, and waved the crisp sheet of paper around in the air as Dimitri tried to grab at it. "Who does she think she is? I am <em>not<em> going back there again, I don't care what Charlotte thinks is best." My gaze flickered over the contents of the page and I scoffed. "… suffering from mental relapses. A bunch more shit that says I'm clinging to my fears from the past so I don't have to commit to the future. Another bunch that says I have 'unresolved anger issues towards Adrian'. Of course I have anger issues, he almost killed me! What does she expect, for me to turn the other goddamned cheek and let him try again? This is a bunch-"

"Of rubbish. But," Dimitri grasped my good hand in his and turned my face so meet his eyes. "She does know what she's talking about. Charlotte agrees with some of what she said. And her evaluation has strengthened our case." His thumb rubbed across my cheek softly, and I took a deep, calming breath. "Your reaction to certain things proves that you suffered mentally from what Adrian did. It shows that you had an abusive relationship, and that's something he can be punished for. This evaluation, paired up with his attack in the car park, the nuisance calls and the hospital report from the time he beat you into unconsciousness form the backbone of our case. Mia's statement, and the police interviews with Katrina, as well as my psychiatry sessions only strengthen the case even further. Adrian hasn't got a leg to stand on, and he knows it. Why do you think he hasn't pressed charges against me?"

"Because," I paused to think. "He's scared you'll beat him up again if he does?"

Amusement shone in Dimitri's eyes.

"Maybe that's a part of it. But it's because he knows that he's royally screwed. You've got him by the balls, Roza. So don't let go now." His eyes bored into mine and I flushed under the intensity of his gaze. "He's too busy trying to cover his tracks, but it's too late and he knows it. All he can hope for now is that he gets a lenient judge who can give him the most minimum sentence. We just have to hope and pray that we get a judge who's harsh and likes to make a point, and will give him the heaviest sentence." He grinned and leant in to rest his forehead against mine. "Now what we need to do is to leave the case down to Ms. Vasquez. That's her arena. Our priority, Ms. Hathaway, is to get these wedding plans underway if you still want to get married by September. We have just over four months to get it all finished and finalised."

I grinned. "And we need to focus on pushing for us to be allowed to adopt Katrina too. I want you to be able to adopt her on our wedding day, the same as you will for Alyssa, Tom and Sophia." I paused. "If we do that, Adrian won't have to support any of them, and Camille won't have to support Katrina either."

He nodded. "If Charlotte can get them to backdate the child support Adrian owes, then you can save that as a nest egg for the kids, and use it for things they want and need, like spending money if they go on trips and things. We can also see about getting Camille to backtrack and pay something towards the two years that we've had Katrina. That can be her little nest egg for when she gets older too. As for now and the rest of it, we were fine with our finances before, and we'll be fine afterwards. We have the money from the flat, which we save up each month in case of any emergencies, so we'll be fine, Roza. It'll be our clean break, and we'll be a family."

* * *

><p><strong>I know that it takes much longer than a couple of months to be granted parental responsibility for a child that's not your own. However, for the purposes of this story, as you can see, it's going to be a bit speedier.<strong>

**Who was expecting the Camille POV? Who's feeling a little conflicted about her character now? I know I am :S**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two.**

**Happy New Year! :) I hope it's a good one for you! Please read the A.N at the end. It's important.**

**Also, please check out the Christmas outtake I did for this story. It's on my profile as 'Merry Christmas, Comrade'.**

**I'm also posting a new fic called 'Anger. Desire. Passion.' It's a drabble fic that's only eighteen chapters long in total and is updated three times a day. Check it out if you're interested. ;)**

**Thank you Gabby, for the help with the dress description.**

**Thank you also to everyone who voted on the poll, either on here or on facebook. **

Ludka – I'm glad that you enjoyed the CPOV. All I can say is that love makes people do some crazy things, and that fear is a good incentive. Lol, Dimitri is definitely whipped. He doesn't seem to mind though :D Merry Christmas to you too. I hope you had a good one!

MadameRozaBelikova – Lol, her POV didn't warm you up to her character even a little? Like I said to Ludka, fear is a great incentive, and so is seeing only what you want to see. I definitely celebrate Christmas, and I hope you had a Merry one too!

DXR – Hehe, I didn't realise it til you wrote that! :D I'm glad you saw the point of the CPOV, and as for a baby Belikov, like I've said to everyone else, you'll have to wait and see what happens…

Fati – Awww thank you so much sweetie! :') I'm appreciate that so much and damn, I'm just so pleased that you're enjoying it so much! Sorry it's taken me so long to get this chapter done and posted – writer's block is an awful thing. :( Lol, trust me, I don't want this story to end either. I'm so invested in it, and I think that I'll blub like a baby when I finally have to press that button that says 'complete'. I hope that the rest of the story won't let you down!  
><strong><br>Now for some fluff as we've been a bit bogged down lately.**

* * *

><p>We were on our way to the hospital for my physiotherapy session, when suddenly, Dimitri's face brightened up. "I love this one!" He turned up the volume and started bobbing his head along with the piano keys.<p>

"Who is it?"

The car fell silent as Dimitri and the kids all stared at me open mouthed. "You can't be serious, Roza." At my blank look he shook his head and elaborated. "It's Wake Me Up by Ed Sheeran."

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"The guy who sang 'Lego House' and 'The A Team'."

I shook my head as Dimitri groaned. "And you say that my taste in music is bad. At least I'm up to date with the charts."

I smirked. "Only because Alyssa and Katrina teased you mercilessly for your crappy old taste."

He chuckled but didn't take the bait as I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. "We'll all sing the rest of it, especially for you, Roza."

He and the kids joined in with the end of the first verse.

_And I should run you a hot bath  
>Fill it up with bubbles<em>

I smiled. He'd done that for me on several occasions. And then joined me in there once I'd settled down and relaxed.

_And you should never cut your hair  
>'Cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder<em>

_And you will never know_  
><em>Just how beautiful you are to me<em>  
><em>But maybe I'm just in love<em>  
><em>When you wake me up<em>

Dear God, the gesture was sweet, but their voices were terrible. Dimitri was out of tune, Tom was banging out the rhythm on the headrest of the seat in front of him, Sophia didn't know the words, and Katrina and Alyssa could carry a tune, but still had light, children's voices that made whatever they did seem adorable.

_And I know you love Shrek  
>Because we've watched it 12 times<em>

I giggled as Dimitri nodded along to the words that were being sung.

_And maybe we're hoping for a fairytale too  
>And if your DVD breaks today<br>You should've got a VCR  
>Because I've never owned a blue ray, true say<em>

I know I've always been

rubbish_ at computer games  
>Because <em>Tom _always beats me_

Tom grinned proudly as Dimitri substituted in his name and sneakily covered up the swear word.

_And if I lost, I go across and chuck all the controllers at the TV  
>And then you laugh at me<br>_

I leant across the small space between us and kissed his cheek softly, so that I didn't distract him from driving. "You're absolutely crazy." He grinned. "And you can't sing."

His grin widened as the traffic lights turned red and he stopped the car to turn to face me. "I know. But I don't care. And I can tell by the little twinkle in your eye that you don't either."

I smiled as he leant in to peck my lips before the lights turned green. "You're right. However, that doesn't mean that I'm not going to tease you endlessly."

His response was to hum along to the ending notes of the song and interlink his fingers with mine as the lights glowed green.

* * *

><p>Sweat trickled down the back of my neck as I gritted my teeth, grasped the handles of my crutches firmly and took another small step forwards.<p>

"Why the hell is the other side of the room so far away?" I sucked in a sharp breath as I shifted my weight and took another step.

"Come on, mum. You can do it."

I snorted and took another wobbly step ahead. "You just want me to progress far enough that the physio will let me stay out of that damned wheelchair and use crutches at home so that _you_ can play with them, Tom."

"You _can_ do it, Roza." My eyes snapped up to meet Dimitri's chocolate brown ones filled with support and trust.

"I could do it a lot easier of you met me halfway."

"You can do it with me all the way over here. I know you can. You did all of those ankle pumps, rotations, bed-supported knee bends and straight leg raises so that you could move on to standing knee raises and hip abductions. Now you're onto the next step. You're stubborn and refuse to use a walker, so you're using a crutch."

I glared at him. "Walkers are for old people. I don't need one of them."

He chuckled but stayed seated across the room, instead choosing to stretch a hand out towards me invitingly.

Determination filled by body, straightening out my back and pushing me to take one wobbly step after another. When Dimitri looked at me like that, made little gestures like that one, I knew I could do anything. That I had to do everything I possibly could to get back on my feet and back to normal. All I could see during these sessions was him stood at the altar, waiting for me to join him. Whenever I made it across the room and collapsed into his arms, I imagined that he wasn't holding me up, but holding me against his chest as we had our first dance.

And then… A naughty smile curved my lips as I imagined what would come after. Or rather, _who_…

"Roza?"

I jumped at Dimitri's questioning tone and found him standing a foot away from me, concern etched onto his features. "Are you okay? You spaced out for a while."

I grinned and shook my head. "I'm fine. Just thinking about what I'm going to do once I get out of this hell hole. Now back up." I tried to wave one of my crutches in his direction to ward him off, and almost toppled over.

Strong hands grasped my upper arms and prevented me from hitting the floor face first, or from jerking and hurting my hips.

"Don't want you to fracture your hips again. Didn't we already agree that you wouldn't end up in a hospital bed again, Ms. Hathaway?"

Dimitri's tone was light and jokey as I leant against his chest to catch my breath back. "I guess you're going to have to be my Prince Charming for a couple more weeks until I get my balance completely right." I tilted my face upwards and he leant down automatically to brush his lips against mine. "Thank you."

My voice was a whisper but he heard me and smiled before he released my arms. "You're welcome."

"Move back to the seats, I think I'm ready to try again."

"No falling over this time."

I rolled my eyes. "If I could smack your bum without fear of falling over, I'd do it without a second thought. You better watch your back, Belikov."

He chuckled as he walked back to his seat, before turning to watch me with expectant eyes. "Let's see what you've got, Hathaway."

* * *

><p>"Pink and orange."<p>

Lissa's expression was horror-struck as she stared at me, looking like I'd just confessed to killing every baby bunny and cute kitten in the world.

"P-pink and _orange_?" Her voice was almost a shriek, which stopped Mia's snickers and instead caused her to flinch back. "You really want your _wedding_ colours to be _pink and orange?"_

"Yes." My face was perfectly straight, my expression serious as Lissa swayed in her chair.

"I think I'm going to pass out. I need to sit down. And have a stiff drink."

Mia laughed behind her notepad. "You are sitting down."

On trembling legs my best friend left the dining table and made her way into the front room.

"Are you seriously going to have that awful combination?" Mia wasn't fooled, and a conspiratory grin crept onto her features when I shook my head.

"I just needed to get Lissa out of my hair for a few minutes so I can finally figure out exactly what I want. Dimitri says I could show up in a rainbow striped bikini if I wanted to. All he wants is 'to marry me and spend the rest of his life with me'."

Mia threw her head back and laughed. "That sounds like him. The man is so whipped he can't even think straight." Then she fixed me with a firm gaze. "Seriously speaking though, we only have just over three and a half months until the big day. What colours were you thinking of having?"

"Either purple, red or blue with white. I'm leaning more towards purple and blue though."

Mia's brow scrunched with confusion. "Why?"

I grinned. "Well, purple and white are the colours that Dimitri and I wore on my birthday for our date at The Ritz. It was the first time that we said I love you to each other."

Tears sprang to Mia's eyes as Lissa stepped back into the room, a grimace twisting her angelic features. "Rose, _please_ tell me that you were joking before. I can do magic with _any_ colour combination, _any_ design, but a clash like that belongs in hell, not in your wedding."

I grinned and patted the chair she'd vacated a few minutes earlier. "You know I was only pulling your leg, Liss. I think that I've actually made my decision."

"Really?" She sat down and scooted her seat closer to the table as she reached for a pen and the folder that held all of the notes, arrangements and decisions that had been made so far.

I nodded and smiled as she leant forwards eagerly. "A deep royal purple and white." I frowned. "And royal blue. It's Dimitri's favourite colour."

Mia snorted. "No, it's his favourite colour on _you_. I remember what you told me about his response to that night when you were waiting for him in lacy blue lingerie." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively as Lissa giggled, apparently over her earlier freak out.

"Did you ever consider that maybe it was just the effect of seeing my body in something other than huge, grey granny pants?"

Lissa looked like she was going to pass out again. "Please tell me you wear nice underwear, Rose. _Please_. I don't think my heart will be able to stand it if I hear you're wearing something similar to incontinence underwear. Dimitri deserves to see you in sexy undies every day since you insist upon buying 'mum' clothes."

"I don't buy '_mum'_ clothes, and yes, I do have nice undies, but they're practical too. There's nothing wrong with that."

I scowled as Mia mouthed something at Lissa and then grinned encouragingly. "That's not fair. You're tag teaming me! And to think that I was about to say that I might have found _the_ perfect dresses for my chief bridesmaids. So long as they liked them, of course. I even knew which shoes you were going to wear." I pouted. "But since you're bullying me I might just dress you in black bin liners."

My threat didn't work as they both snickered and rolled their eyes.

"Wow, you really have been working your arse off on this." Mia sounded impressed.

"Thank Adrian for fracturing my hip. I've been on bed rest for the past three months and bored out of my brain. I figured I may as well put the time to good use so it wasn't all done in a last minute rush."

Both Lissa and Mia grimaced at the mention of Adrian's name.

"I hope the judge gives that son of a bitch a life sentence." Lissa's face twisted with disgust as she muttered angrily. "When are you getting Katrina back?"

It was an obvious change of topic, but one that I was grateful for.

"This Saturday, along with the signed papers."

Lissa smiled. "That's good. Things are starting to slot into place for you all, finally."

I grinned as Mia interrupted. "I don't want to be rude, but I'm dying to know what type of shoes you picked out for us."

I grinned evilly this time. "We're going to get you both a pair of the shoes that you made me wear on my birthday," I laughed. "Now you can experience the foot ache I had to experience."

Mia winked. "I bet it was worth it though. Those sexy shoes are probably what sealed the deal."

I laughed, and then swallowed heavily. "Actually, I've already found all of the dresses. Don't hate me."

Lissa's eyes widened. "All- All of them?"

I nodded and braced myself. "Sorry, Liss."

Her eyes widened even further and then filled with tears. "But that's part of our job as your bridesmaids – to help you choose your potential colours and then to find all of the dresses, suits and accessories that go with them." Her eyes brightened up as a thought struck her. "At least you haven't found _your_ dress yet!"

My fidgeting was enough of an answer and her face dropped.

"You even found your dress too?" Her voice cracked and I glanced at Mia as my stomach churned with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Liss. I didn't mean to, but I saw it online and then when I rang up the woman was so nice and friendly and said that they'd hold one in my size until I could come into the shop and try it on."

She nodded as a tear slipped down her cheek. "So you haven't actually seen it?"

I could see where she was going with her train of thought. "No."

"So… why don't you show us the picture, and then we'll have seen it… and when you actually go for your fitting, we can gush accordingly."

Mia nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"Should I show you the rest of the outfits I found or do you want to save that for a later date?"

They both shook their heads as Mia answered. "Best to show us them all now so that we can lead you back on track if the months of being bed bound lead you to make some crazy decisions."

"One minute!" Lissa jumped up from her seat once again. "I'll make cocktails and tell Dimitri's he has to make dinner."

"Cocktails? Isn't it a bit early, Liss?"

She nodded enthusiastically and then shook her head. "They are the perfect drink for what we're about to do. Plus, they'll loosen you up enough that Dimitri gets lucky tonight."

"He gets lucky several nights!" I glared as she slipped out the door. "He'd have to win the lottery to get any luckier!"

* * *

><p>"So as I said earlier, the wedding colours are going to be royal blue, purple and white."<p>

"Okay." Lissa nodded. "How exactly do you want that combination to work?"

"Well, I was thinking a kind of mix and match theme. _But,_ without it looking trashy."

"You could have a purple dress and wear lacy blue underwear as a nice surprise for Dimitri on your wedding night." Lissa laughed at Mia's suggestion and jotted it down in her notepad.

"Are you guys done with teasing me now?" I stared pointedly at Mia. "Especially considering you're a whips and chains kinda girl."

"You did _not_ just bring that up!" Mia's entire face turned red and Lissa's jaw dropped.

"You've _done_ that?" Mia nodded meekly, and Lissa ripped a fresh page out of her notepad. "Does it hurt? Christian's always wanted to-"

I covered my ears. "This is not a conversation I ever want to hear. You have each other's phone numbers, so talk about _that_ stuff some other time."

"You should listen in Rose," Lissa's voice was chastising. "You could get some ideas for your wedding gift to Dimitri."

She giggled and I glared. "This conversation is over. Back to wedding plans."

"Right. Wedding plans." They both lifted their glasses in a toast and giggled once more.

"You're both going to have blue dresses. Purple shoes and purple bouquets. I'll have a blue bouquet. The kids will have the opposite of you two. So purple dresses with blue shoes and small blue bouquets of flowers, or flower baskets. Dimitri will have a purple waistcoat or tie to match my bouquet; Christian will have a blue tie to match your dresses as will Paul since he's the best man. Tom's going to have purple to match the girls. "I know that the colours don't necessarily mesh. But then again, you wouldn't think that Dimitri and I do either. We're so different, yet that's what makes us work. So that's why you're having alternate colours." They smiled at part of what I said, but then met each other's eyes and grimaced. "You don't like it." It was a statement, not a question.

"What you've got planned sounds good," Lissa started, but then paused, unsure of how to phrase the rest of her answer.

"The mix and matching isn't a good idea." Mia smoothly took up where Lissa left off. "It takes the attention away from you and Dimitri, which it shouldn't do. We're supposed to enhance you two, not drown you out. People will be sitting there trying to figure out why on Earth we all seem to have each other's shoes and flowers, rather than gushing over how beautiful you look and how perfect you are for each other."

Lissa nodded. "You can keep the two colours, but intertwine them. So Mia and I have all blue to match Christian and Paul. The kids will wear all purple to match each other. You can have your blue bouquet, and Dimitri can have his purple waistcoat and tie, to keep you independent, yet tie you together. And if you really want us to suffer the way Mia made you – though I don't see why I'm being punished too – we'll make sure that we get some heels to go with our dresses."

Mia finished off what remained in her glass, and then spoke as she filled it up from the pitcher Lissa had made. "You could also have the Church in purple and white, and the reception hall in blue and white; so you still have the two colours, yet they're separated and aren't overwhelming."

"Switch the colours of the Church and reception hall around and it's a deal."

Mia grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you. Did you get all of that written down, Lissa?"

Lissa was frantically scribbling everything down, but she nodded. "Get your laptop out and show us pictures. I need to see it with my eyes to make sure that the colours are all the same tone."

* * *

><p>"Okay, this is the one that I really liked for you and Mia." We were all crowded together on the sofa, after kicking Dimitri and Christian out of the room so that they didn't overhear anything.<p>

"Actually," Mia's voice was soft. "I really like it too. Is it satin?"

I nodded and then shook my head as I reread the description. "Taffeta. It says that it's a 'royal blue taffeta spaghetti strap above the knee length dress with piping detail on bodice with full skirt and pockets.' It's simple, but effective. It's a little darker than royal blue, but I felt that would go nicely with both of your eyes if people see you up close. From the model they have wearing it, you can see that it falls to just below, rather than above your knee, but I think that'll look slightly nicer."

Lissa nodded. "Knees never look good in pictures."

"Plus, it flows over your hips which will give you both the illusion of being a little curvy since you're both naturally skinny."

"Okay, that dress needs a sexy pair of shoes!" Mia grabbed the laptop out of my hands and Lissa squealed excitedly as I rolled my eyes.

"Knock yourselves out."

There was silence for a few moments, and then a chorus of awed sighs broke out from the two of them.

"Those ones."

"Definitely."

The laptop was thrust back onto my lap as they sat back, satisfied smirks on their faces.

The shoes on the screen were peep toed sling backs and looked to be at least six inches high, and I fought to keep my jaw from dropping. They were nice, but I was immediately thankful that the dress I'd found allowed me to get away with wearing flats, or sandals since nobody would be able to see my feet.

The ones Lissa and Mia had decided on are the same shade of blue as their dresses and have a large satin bow at the top. They were simple, but effective, just like their dresses.

"How are we going to pay for this? Should we go into town tomorrow morning and buy them or-"

I cut Mia off and pointed towards my bag. "Can one of you get my purse out please?"

Lissa grabbed it, and I pulled out the red debit card for the account Abe had opened in my name. "So that we know we've got them, we'll but them both right now. Thanks to Abe, Dimitri and I don't have to worry about a thing – moneywise. He's taking his role as father of the bride seriously and is refusing to let anyone else pay for a thing."

"Seriously?" Lissa wasn't shocked, she'd known my parents her whole life, but Mia had only met them since the incident with Adrian.

I nodded. "My dad has his fingers in lots of pies, so to speak. He has money to spare. And he says that because I've been bed bound for the past few months, paying out for the wedding is an unfair burden on me and Dimitri. So he set up this account for me to use to order whatever I need. For the reception hall, he came down with me and Dimitri and paid it then and there."

"Woah."

Lissa nodded and snapped her fingers to regain our attention. "Bridesmaid dresses are done. Have you sorted out what the kids are doing and wearing?"

I nodded. "It was hard, but we decided that Orel and Zoya aren't going to have a 'special role' in the wedding. With it being so short notice and them being in a completely different country, it's really, really tricky to try and organise. Paul is going to be Dimitri's best man. Tom and Sophia are going to be our ring bearers, and Alyssa and Katrina are going to be our flower girls."

I paused and selected another folder on the laptop. "This is what I want Alyssa and Katrina to wear. We can order it online and then collect it in store so that they can try it on in the changing rooms to make sure it fits correctly." Their dresses were sleeveless v-necked dresses made out of purple taffeta that flowed down to touch their knees. The dresses had a pleated waist, with a small flower corsage pinned to one side to draw attention in to their slim frames.

"I want their hair to be natural and wavy, and they'll have these small beaded garlands on their heads as an accessory." I pulled up a different picture and then flicked through til I found the shoes I liked as well. They were little heeled wedding sandals with a sequinned bow on the ankle strap. The front had one cross over, which was studded with sequins." They can have clear or purple nail polish to finish it off."

Mia nodded and took the laptop from me so she could add it to our online shopping basket and began to pay with Abe's card before she handed it back. "You need to add in the details that aren't on the card. Is Sophia wearing the same but in a smaller size?"

I shook my head. "No. I ordered her dress a few days ago because it had to be shipped here, but I'll show you what it looks like."

Sophia's dress was a deeper purple hue than her sisters' dresses and had a round neck. It was a typical flower girl dress, being one block colour with a scalloped hemline that pleated the skirt a little. She had purple sequinned dolly shoes and white ankle socks to complete her look.

Now for Tom.

"He's going to hate it, but that's tough."

Mia's eyes crinkled up with familiarity. Tom was the ultimate boy. And he _hated_ dressing up. "He knows how important this day is to you, Rose."

I snorted. "That's not going to stop him from whining about having to wear a suit, _and_ a tie."

She smiled sympathetically. "Well then let's leave the boys outfits for today. We'll look at them another time. Have you sent all of the invites? You haven't left anyone out?"

I shook my head and pointed to the crutches which were leaning against the door. "Did it all while I was bed bound. Most people have RSVP'd. Those that haven't have two weeks left, and then they're off the guest list."

"Tick." Lissa muttered as she checked through her lists before frowning and glancing up at me. "You're holding the rehearsal dinner at the same place as the actual reception?"

"Yup." That way, people know where to go on the actual day. Or some of us will anyway, and those that don't will follow us in their cars."

"Have you picked a _nice_ dress for it?"

I grinned. "Actually, Dimitri did." I pushed myself off of the sofa and hobbled clumsily over to my crutches. "I'll go get it."

* * *

><p>Lissa's eyes clouded over as I slowly made my way back into the room, my outfit held in a see through dress bag so that I didn't misplace it.<p>

"That's beautiful."

Mia grinned. "And it's royal blue." Lissa giggled as she caught on, and I laughed good naturedly. "But it is a beautiful dress."

"My husband-to-be has good taste sometimes."

"Definitely. Rose, don't ever let him go. He's the full package right there."

"Trust me," I grinned. "I won't. If this is my chance at a happily ever after I'm going to grab it with both hands. Now, who wants to hear the details about this fabulous piece of clothing? I can see you're dying to know, Liss."

She nodded, her eyes still trained hungrily on the dress sin my arms, and I held it out so she could inspect it closely. "Velvet?" Her inner fashionista was already dissecting it piece by piece. "Velvet's old fashioned, but with this style it works. It'll be snug around your waist and flow down to brush against your knees." She looked up to study me and nodded. "You have the perfect figure for this, and the sweetheart neckline will emphasise your cleavage in a classy way because the cap sleeves will also give the impression of a slightly smaller bust than you actually have."

She pulled the dress out of the bag and ran her fingertips over the front of the bodice lightly. "This appliqué..." She lifted it up to the light. "It catches the light, just right…" She was mumbling to herself, lost in her happy place. "The detail on this is fantastic, Rose. He put a lot of thought into this. The time it must have taken to finish it, to this standard. And it's vintage too, from the style. Unless he stumbled upon it in a charity shop, Dimitri must have really been hunting for something special. When did he give it to you?"

I smiled goofily. "Valentine's Day."

She nodded. "It's perfect. And it's going to look even more perfect on you."

* * *

><p>"Umm, Rose?"<p>

"Yeah?" We'd packed everything away and were sprawled out on the sofa once again, waiting for Christian to finish his 'food masterpiece' so we could stuff our faces.

I turned to Mia, who was gazing at me expectantly.

"It's great that you've gotten almost everything done and sorted while you were on bed rest, and you know who's doing what, but… who am I supposed to walk down the aisle with?"

I stared at her, and then realised that I'd paired everyone else up in my head, but forgotten that Paul would be standing with Dimitri at the front of the church.

"I completely forgot about that." I paused and then giggled. "I suppose we could always ask Paul to be a groomsman as well as Dimitri's best man."

Lissa snorted and choked on her drink as Mia glared at me. "Yeah, because Dimitri's fifteen year old nephew is the ideal groomsman for me."

"He's the ideal height." Lissa murmured into her glass and I struggled to keep my laughter down.

"You two sound like an old married couple. Christian will start to get jealous, Liss."

Mia coughed, and I remembered what we were supposed to be fixing. "If you didn't have anyone in mind I thought that I could, maybe…" She trailed off and a blush covered her face, neck and shoulders.

"Have you been seeing someone, Mia? Without telling me?"

She blushed even harder, if that was possible and nodded as she dropped my gaze. "It was just supposed to be a casual thing."

"How long?"

"About six months. We fight a lot, so we've had lots of breaks, I suppose."

"Who is it?" Lissa was involved now, eager for another dose of fresh gossip. She thrived on it.

"Mason."

"Who? The name doesn't ring any bells."

Mia flushed again and took a large gulp of the cocktail Lissa had made. "You know the police officer who stayed behind the night Tom went missing?" She raised her eyes to meet our stunned ones. "Yeah, him…"

"The redhead? The cute one with the freckled?" My voice was shocked as she nodded. "But Tom went missing more than six months ago."

"I know." She raked a hand through her hair fretfully. "We got talking that night, but didn't think anything of it. And then a few months later, I bumped into him at a club. We got talking again, and things just, I don't know."

"Kept escalating until you found yourself actually considering taking a further step and having an official relationship?" Lissa's voice was sympathetic but her eyes sparkled as Mia nodded dejectedly.

"Do you want him to come? I honestly don't mind, and I don't think Dimitri would either." Mia gazed at me for a long moment before she sighed.

"I don't know. It was just an idea if you didn't have anyone else lined up for the role. I need to think about it for a little while if that's okay?"

I grinned cheekily. "Of course. I'll put Paul in reserve – just in case."

* * *

><p><strong>The song used was 'Wake Me Up' by Ed Sheeran.<strong>

**Here's my huge, important ending A.N. If you don't read it, and then ask me questions that I answered in it, I will not be a happy bunny.**

I'm clearing up all of the questions/thoughts about Adrian and Camille.

Adrian is an evil bastard in this story; it's as simple as that. Yes, he had a good side, back when he and Rose were dating and when they first got married, but that side disappeared long ago. Right now, he's so twisted and eaten up with bitterness that there are no boundaries for him. He's so focused on breaking Rose he can't see that if he stepped back, she'd be out of his life. He's unconsciously dragging her back, yet he blames her for still being a part of his life, and that's why he's going to such extreme lengths. Yes, everyone does have a speck of good in them. No human can be completely evil. However, we can act and think evilly. Free will has a price people. I'm not trying to preach or to sound all-knowing either. But what about murderers? Not the type that snap after being bullied and beaten and abused for years. But the ones who sit down and systematically plot and plan for years and years? The ones we read about in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. They are some twisted psycho's right there. They enjoy it. They do it because it brings them pleasure, and more to the point, they want to. Where's the good in that? There isn't any, which is why right now, there isn't any in Adrian. Who knows, he may have a change of heart. We'll find that out as the story progresses and draws to a close.

As for Camille, she was genuine with her thoughts and feelings. She does love Adrian, and love makes people do crazy things. I'm not condoning her actions or staying by Adrian's side, but also she has to make sure she stays safe too. It was a big risk for her to go and see Rose, I dread to think what would happen if Adrian found out about their little chat. As for her and Katrina, people do some crazy shit when they suffer from post-natal depression. Half of the mothers you hear about on the news who abuse their babies or kill them or do something equally as bad are often suffering from some form of that illness. Camille's tried to deal with it and it hasn't worked. She acknowledges and understands that the best thing would be to leave Katrina with Rose. However, with Rose, Katrina is in danger. Camille just wants to ensure that her daughter will be safe. It's self-preservation in a way. Her asking Rose, rather than getting the police involved also sends a warning to Rose, if Rose can figure out the motivation behind her actions. Think back to Yeva's visions and hopefully things are starting to fall into place. Camille is going to ensure that Katrina ends up with RxD, she's going to sign the papers and make sure Adrian does too, she's ensuring a fresh break for them all, but she needed to make sure her daughter was safe first.

Also, a lot of people seem to be confused. Maybe I'm not making it clear, and for that I apologise. Adrian _**is**__**not**_ planning on killing Rose, Alyssa, Tom or Sophia. His driving force is to break Rose so that she'll disappear from his life and he'll be able to have his happy ever after with Camille. Killing Dimitri will achieve that, and since he doesn't want nor cares for Katrina, taking her out of the picture also ensures his future happiness.

**Okay, rant over. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and the little break that we had from the intense angsty type stuff. Hopefully I'll be updating again in less than a week this time around! **

**Ooh, and don't forget to check out Merry Christmas, Comrade and Anger. Desire. Passion. ;)**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three.**

***waves and hides* Ummm, hi? I am **_**SO**_** sorry for the amount of time it's taken me to update, and if you're still reading I appreciate it deeply. A lot has happened during my absence, some good, some bad but I'm past it all now, hopefully.**

**I'm still working on the court scene, so we get a little more fluff and a teensy bit of drama with this chapter.**

**Huge thanks to jbowencox and Little-Angry-Kitten whose reviews/comments yesterday snapped me out of the neglective funk I've been in and got me tapping away at my laptop.**

**BabyJustSayYes – That he is! :) Hehe, I'm glad you liked the car scene and Lissa's teasing! Hmmmm, I hadn't considered Eddie. I'll have to think about how to add him in. I was going to have Mia date him instead but decided to have Mason instead, so I'll need to have a think!**

**LMninja – Lol! And yup, I would have been grumpy :D**

**Fati – You're very welcome! I did thanks, did you? And oh my, I am an absolute fail on updating. Writer's block and life got in the way unfortunately :( hopefully, now I'm back at it, it **_**will**_** increase in speed. And that is such an awesome dream! If I'd had that I'd want it to be real too lol! Hmmm, well we don't have Victoria's secret over here, but I just might do something like that with Ann Summers, or the honeymoon… ;) Plus, there are the two naughty outtakes for this story that are posted where Dimitri gets a treat. ;D**

**The iPod's Broken – I doubt you're still reading, but if you are, I hope you take the time to read this. That's your opinion and I respect it. However, if you've been in an abusive relationship, where your partner wined and dined you, treated you like gold and kissed the ground you walked on, and then flipped and treated you like complete shit, you'd panic if it seemed like the cycle was starting again with the next guy you developed feelings for. Hearin things out loud is sometimes worse that it being shown through actions, because you can't pretend they mean something else, or pass it off with another meaning. The words are there and you have to take them the way they're intended. I don't blame Rose for freaking out and being scared that Dimitri would turn on her the same way Adrian did. If you lost respect because her dominant response came out, nothing I can say is going to change it. Just try to imagine yourself in her shoes.**

**Giggles – Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**DXR – I love fluff :) It's definitely better than drama! I will post pictures of the dresses on fb once it gets to the actual wedding. I'm glad you like that everyone's coupling up :D thanks for reviewing!**

**MnMie3sJackTwist – Aww thank you!**

**Kellyheehar – Awww thank you! Hehe, he definitely is. But don't worry he'll get his comeuppance! It's already starting!**

**Jbowencox – Here you go. Thank you for asking again!**

**And without further ado, I present chapter thirty three. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Are you sure you don't want to go away for our honeymoon?"<p>

Dimitri and I were curled up together in bed, double checking all of the final decisions for our wedding.

I paused and then nodded. "If you want to go away then I want to. My parents have offered to look after the kids, and your mum's also offered to extend her ticket too."

He chuckled. "I can tell there's a 'but' waiting on the tip of your tongue."

I grinned and shifted so our bodies were a little closer, loving the way his arms automatically tightened around my waist.

"But… we're all going to Russia next summer for a month. That's going to be costly enough. I mean, we're doing a week as a family, and then your family are going to look after the kids while we honeymoon for a week around the country, and then spend a week in Turkey for just the two of us, and then we all have a final week in Russia. I know that Abe's paying for it, but I still feel guilty for going on a honeymoon after the wedding too. Maybe we can save the South of France for one of our anniversaries?"

Dimitri nodded and kissed the top of my hair. "You'd have made a great lawyer with the way you argue your case, Ms. Soon-to-be-Belikov. So you're okay with us just going to the Ritz for the weekend?"

I nodded and sighed into his chest. "I hate that we had to change the date from the twenty-sixth to the twenty-ninth."

"I know, but this way it's on the Saturday and more people will be able to attend than if we'd held it mid-week." His fingers rubbed along my rib cage soothingly and my eyes started to droop even though I fought against it. "Go to sleep, Roza. You've been working yourself harder than usual during your physiotherapy sessions. You need to rest."

I smiled and then frowned even as sleep threatened pulled me under. "Do you think _this_ Saturday is going to go well?"

Though I couldn't see him, I could sense Dimitri's head nodding. "Ms. Vasquez is going to kick Adrian's lawyer's butt and win us this case."

* * *

><p>"I can't choose." Dimitri groaned at my admission and let his head fall forwards into his hands as Lissa and Mia shared yet another excited glance and brought up a new file of pictures.<p>

"Black and red are out, so you need to decide whether you want purple to go with the reception, or blue to go with the church." Lissa pointed to four different pictures.

"I like the purple one, but I feel that I should have blue and purple. I just can't find any ones with a design that I like."

"Then why don't you get one of each? Have the one with purple decoration that you liked, and find a blu-"

Mia cut Lissa off. "We've looked. They're all, for lack of a better word, disgusting and an eyesore."

Lissa sighed, pulled the laptop out of my hands and brushed her hair out of her eyes impatiently as she tapped away. A few seconds later, she placed it back in my lap. "There. It's a basic sponge cake, or can be a fruit cake, with plain white icing. The colour and decoration comes from the butterflies which are all in differing shades of blue and intricately designed. They're non-edible, so you can save the butterflies to be re-used another time while your guests enjoy the cake."

She grinned and sat back while Dimitri looked like he was going to cry from relief. "Is that it? Can I go? _Please_?" The last part was practically a beg as he inched towards the door.

"One minute, mister." I crooked my finger towards him, and he smirked before walking over and kissing me softly.

"I love you, but I'll go mad if I have to sit here and listen to you all discuss this wedding for another two hours. So long as you show up and we're married by the end of the service, I'm happy." He pressed another quick kiss to my lips and then practically bolted from the room, yelling to see if Christian wanted to go 'for a walk'.

I grinned at Lissa. "Actually, I share my fiancés sentiments. Enough about my wedding. What about your wedding anniversary?"

Lissa grinned goofily. "Can you believe that we'll have been together for ten years in a couple of weeks?" Then her grin turned sly as she looked at Mia. "Will you be bringing a certain red-headed someone along to the celebration? It could be a test run for Rose's big day."

Mia blushed, something we'd grown accustomed to whenever Mason came up in conversation, and shook her head mutely.

Of course, Lissa took that as invitation to tease her further.

The two of them bickered on a daily basis, like an old married couple, but had developed a close friendship, nurtured by my run in with Adrian.

"I still think Paul would be better suited as your groomsman. Height wise, you're a perfect match."

Mia glared as Lissa snickered. "Cut it out with the height jokes! Just because I'm not twenty feet tall-"

"_Twenty_? That is so-"

"True? Of course it is."

I laughed as they continued to trade insults back and forth. "So long as you don't rip each other's hair out and look great in the wedding pictures, I'm happy. Don't beat each other too badly."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean Adrian's been released?" Dimitri's voice was tense and low as my body froze. Charlotte's face was set in a slight frown, but her eyes were grave.<p>

"His lawyer said or did something that's gotten him released on bail. I was informed this morning so I could let you know that he'll be let out in a couple of hours." Her eyes flashed across to meet mine while Dimitri's fingers rubbed soothing circles into the palm of my hand. "How do you feel about me putting protective measures in place?"

Dimitri's brow furrowed even further. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean possibly having a police officer assigned to you, or being under constant surveillance by having someone outside keeping watch. We could even implement something as simple as a body guard, or install a panic button, just in case Adrian's been building another crazy scheme and has decided to exact his revenge now that he's out."

My ears buzzed and my vision swam. "I thought that he wasn't going to be let out? At the hearing they said they had enough evidence to take the case to court!" My voice was desperate, frightened, and Charlotte's features softened.

"I know, Rose, and I'm sorry. This is an unexpected fluke on Adrian's part. That's why I want you to have some sort of protection. I don't want to risk Adrian using this as his one last chance at getting close to you, to hurt you or to finish what he started last time."

I flinched at the reminder of the incident in the stairwell and leant into Dimitri's wide chest instinctively, his large, muscled frame sheltering my small one.

"I won't let him hurt you again, Roza." Dimitri's voice is a murmur only meant for my ears, to reassure me, but I shake my head.

"I don't want him near to you either."

"R-"

"No!" My voice is forceful and both Dimitri and Charlotte look shocked. "I don't trust Adrian, and I don't want you to get hurt because he's trying to get at me." Unshed tears make it hard for me to speak. "I couldn't bear it if you were hurt because of me, Dimitri. I love you, and Adrian knows that. If you stand between us, he'll have no qualms about hurting you, or worse, to get to me. I _can't_ have that happen."

"Roza,"

"No." I cut him off once again, my voice soft as I met his gaze with a challenging one of my own. My fingers untangled from his and lifted to rest against his cheek, noting the way he leant into my touch. "You're not going to get hurt for me. Not by Adrian." I turned to face Charlotte. "A panic button would be a good idea. I don't think I need a police officer trailing us 24/7, but couldn't we push for Adrian to maybe have one of those tag things? If he has to be in his house at certain times, maybe I could have a police officer in the area during the hours he's allowed out? And I want to take out a restraining order against him. Even though it doesn't physically do anything, it'll serve as a reminder that he has to stay away unless he wants to end up back where he just came from."

Charlotte nodded along with my words. "That exactly what I was hoping for, though I'd feel more comfortable if you had protection with you constantly."

I shook my head. "The kids have only just gotten back to normal. My arm is fine, and my hips are getting there. Lissa's anniversary is next weekend. I'm going to see if I can handle it. We all need to keep some sense of normalcy."

"Though I don't agree, I can't force you to change your mind. I'll see what I can do. The electrician will be here first thing tomorrow morning to install the panic button, and I'll go to the police station right now to see about that restraining order." She stood up and smoothed her skirt before hugging me. "I'll call you and keep you informed. Be careful, all of you."

Dimitri stood to show her to the door, his manners never failing him. "We will be. Thank you for coming over to forewarn us."

"You're welcome."

The door closed softly as she left, and I waited patiently for Dimitri to re-join me in the dining room.

"I'm not changing my mind, Dimitri. I'm sick of us arguing about it."

Irritation covered his features briefly before he sighed deeply and massaged his temples. "We haven't been arguing, we've been-"

"'_Discussing'_. Discussing, arguing, same thing. Either way, I'm fed up with it. And don't use Adrian being released as a point in your favour. I'm not having someone following me around all day. Adrian isn't going to come here."

"And what makes you so sure, Rose?" Dimitri not using my nickname let me know that he was frustrated. "You seem so certain that Adrian isn't going to come looking for you again. Excuse me for not being quite so confident after he almost killed you! What makes you so sure he won't try to finish the job this time?"

My eyes widened and I could feel the shock written across my face. Dimitri _never_ yelled. Sure, he got angry, but he didn't yell. Not even when he had a headache and a pile of tests to mark and the kids were all throwing temper tantrums.

And then regret flashed across his features as he sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Roza. I'm just…" He trailed off and sat down dejectedly in the chair opposite me. "I'm just worried. And I feel helpless. I don't like it. I want to protect you, to be able to tell you that everything's going to be okay, and I hate that I can't."

I stood up and made my way around the table so that I could wrap my arms around his shoulders. "You do protect me. You care for me and love me and are the best thing that's _ever_ happened to me." He pulled me onto his lap and I used my fingertips to tilt his face up so I could catch his gaze. "But you can't protect me from everything. You're not invincible, and you can't pretend that you are. You want to know how I know that Adrian won't come round."

He nodded. "I don't see how you can be so sure."

I rested my forehead against his. "Adrian isn't stupid. He knows that if he comes around here, we'll be prepared and ready. It'll be his last resort, his most desperate measure. Like in the car park, he'll be ready and waiting, he'll have everything planned out. I'm most at risk as soon as I leave the house. Which I won't be doing for quite a while, without you, Mia, Liss or someone else with me."

A little bit of the tension left his body as I brushed my nose against his. "We need to keep moving on with our lives. If we go overboard and caution everything we do, Adrian will still be ruling us and haunting our every move. I don't want to waste another day of my life because of him." I grinned. "_You_ taught me that. To seize every moment and to make it mine. And that's what I'm going to do. Starting now."

* * *

><p>Lissa was stunning and Christian looked attractive and sharp, though I'd never, ever admit it to him. Lissa was radiant in a daffodil yellow empire style party dress that was floor length and had a halter neck. Christian was in a tux, without a tie to Lissa's horror, with three blooming daffodils pinned to the top pocket of his jacket.<p>

It was their tenth wedding anniversary, and we'd driven up to Glasgow to celebrate it with them, their family and friends. Mia and Mason had followed us in Mia's mini, and they were currently dancing together with Tom and Sophia.

They'd decided to have a simple dinner in a small, upscale hotel, and once everyone had eaten enough to satisfy their appetites, the catering staff had cleared away some of the tables to create a sizeable dance floor.

Lissa and Christian had been the first to dance, to Christina Aguilera's 'Blessed', the same song they'd danced to at their wedding. He murmured something in her ear and she'd giggled before wrapping her arms around his neck and dragging his face down to meet hers.

I was happy for them, and only hoped that Dimitri and I would be the same ten years down the line.

"When do you think we should give them their present?" Dimitri's deep voice in my ear made me jump as his arms slipped around my waist and I gratefully leant back into his chest. I'd brought my crutches with me, but had left them in the car. I wanted to see how long I could go without them, and was proud of myself for going for four hours so far. This was _my_ test run, to see whether I was progressing enough to make it through our wedding day.

My eyes flickered across the room, searching for Lissa's platinum blonde hair, or Christian's signature smirk.

Instead I caught sight of them practically molesting each other at the head table.

"They have no shame." Dimitri chuckled at my disgraced mumble. "Let's wait until they resurface."

"Well, what do you suggest we do while we wait?" His lips slid down from my ear to my neck as his hands lightly explored the curve of my hips and waist. "Have I ever told you how much I love it when you wear silk?"

I grinned and nodded. "Why do you think I wear it so much, comrade? But keep your hands to yourself." I slapped his hands away and interlaced my fingers with his.

"You're a tease, Roza."

"True, but you love me for it."

I was wearing a knee length, strappy magenta silk dress. It was simple and flowed over my curves easily, hiding the fact that my walk wasn't always very 'smooth'. The physio classes were helping to improve my walk overall, but it was a slow process.

I caught sight of another blond head moving in Lissa's direction, and turned my head just in time to catch Andre breaking up the happy couple. Christian didn't look too happy, but Lissa simply laughed and waved her big brother off.

"Now's our chance."

Dimitri allowed me to pull him round the dance floor and around small groups of people until we reached Lissa and Christian.

"Rose!" I hugged Lissa again as Dimitri shook Christian's hand.

"I know that we've said our congratulations and wished you the best but we also need to give you your present."

Christian shook his head. "Just having you all here is present enough. It's made Liss so happy to have you in her life, and that makes me happy."

Dimitri chuckled. That was more or less what we'd said to each other a couple of weeks ago.

"Well we still want to give you something, and I have a feeling that despite your words, you'll want this gift."

Dimitri squeezed my hand and I took a deep breath as interest filled Christian and Lissa's faces.

"We want to offer you the chance to become parents." Now confusion was the prominent emotion.

"Rose, that's not something you can give. We can't-"

Dimitri cut Lissa off. "Yes, you can. At least, in theory you can. It might not work, but We're hopeful that it will. You both deserve it."

"I'll be your surrogate, Liss." I too her hand in mine and squeezed it as she gaped. "It's the least I can do. We'll go to the doctors, and see if it's possible for them to use your eggs. If not, if you don't mind, you can use mine, or even use egg donation. Mia's also said that if you don't want to use a stranger, then she's willing to donate her eggs because she is 'never going to use them'." Tears filled her eyes, but she laughed at my next sentence. "And we're definitely using a turkey baster. I am _not_ getting freaky with Christian! I love you, Liss. But not _that_ much."

A choked sob escaped Lissa's lips as she threw herself forwards, crushing Dimitri and I into a rib cracking hug.

"You'd really do that, for us?" Awe and shock filled Christian's voice as Lissa clutched at us even more tightly.

Somehow, Dimitri managed to extract himself out of her grasp and patted Christian on the back. "We've seen how much the kids adore you. You're both meant to be parents, and it's cruel that you can't be. We both want to do this for you. Once we're married and the court case is done, we'll do everything we can to help you guys become parents."

* * *

><p><strong>So, does that make you hate me a little less for the long break? Lissa and Christian are going to have a little baby DragomirOzera at some point! Unless Adrian scuppers it all… tune in next time to see how the court case goes!**

**(And I promise that the next update will be very soon.)**

**On my facebook account 'Nicia VAff Byer', I have an album that contains all the pictures used in this fic so far. If you want to see wht the anniversary dresses looked like, head over and have a look.**

**Bye for now! xx**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four.**

**Okay, okay, I want to put some of your fears at rest with this whole surrogate issue. No, Rose is not going to have sex with Christian. Yes, they are going to use Lissa's eggs and Christian's sperm, unless it doesn't work, in which case Rose and Mia have both offered Lissa the choice to either use their eggs, or Lissa can decide to use egg donation and use eggs provided by a complete stranger. Dimitri and Rose can still have kids even if she's a surrogate, but who says that they're even going to have any? *cue evil laughter* I know Dimitri wouldn't mind having another baby, but like they both said, they already have four kids… And though it'll be a answered in the chapter(s), because it won't be Rose's baby and she knows that she's doing this for Lissa and Christian, regardless of whether she develops an emotional attachment to the baby or not, she knows the baby is theirs and will have no qualms about giving them their child at the end of the nine months. **

**HUGE thanks to she lives in a daydream for all the legal help! You helped SO much with this court case; I'd have been lost without you! As thanks, please go give her stories a read (and review) because she is an amazing author too!**

**Wah – I don't make my posts and things public because of that reason too, both on my fanfiction and personal fb account. However, I'll compromise. What I will do is make the wedding and general LWTA albums public when the wedding chapter goes up. It will stay public for three days, and then I will make it private once again.**

**Mavebelikova – Blame the writer's block! Lol, university work is increasing because the year is almost over, which means I can't spend as long working on this story, so updates are slower.**

**Giggles – Ah, I'm glad about that! Hopefully you'll enjoy this one just as much! :)**

**Jcbowencox – Sorry, but as I said to mavebelikova, sometimes life gets in the way. I didn't mean to take so long, and I definitely didn't intend to leave you guys hanging, but sometimes it can't be helped. If this story isn't finished by the time my exams start, there may be another couple of longer breaks while I focus on schoolwork. But enjoy this chapter :)**

* * *

><p>"Don't tell me to calm down! It's almost August, and there's a <em>hole<em> in my dress. _How can there be a hole in my dress?" _

"Roza," Dimitri's large hands rubbed at my shoulder blades. "Breathe. You need to c-"

"If you tell me to 'calm down' one more time I am going to beat the living daylights out of _everyone_ in this shop!" The shop assistant who was supposed to be dealing with my dress fitting paled and backed up a step as I jerked away from Dimitri's touch and turned on her. "How the hell is there a huge hole in the middle of my dress? It wasn't there last time!"

"Rose," Mia looked nervous when I turned to face her. "You're starting to sound like Bridezilla. I'm sure they would be _more than happy to replace your dress_."

The end of her sentence was spoken pointedly, and the assistant nodded eagerly as she edged away towards the door. "I'm sure we have more in stock. I'll go and look for one right now."

My glare intensified as I eyed the torn garment that was hanging over the edge of the mirror. "If they don't have another one, heads _will_ roll."

The curtain rustled and all three of us turned expectantly. A different assistant entered the fitting area and glanced around nervously until her gaze landed on me. "I'm very sorry Miss. Hathaway, but we don't h-"

Strong hands wrapped around my waist as I lunged towards her, fury painting my features as she squeaked and ran back out.

"_Let me go, Dimitri_!" I growled and tried to twist out of his grasp as Mia hurried to grab our bags, muttering about how we were going to end up being thrown out, or arrested. "I don't care! They ruined my fucking dress, and then have the audacity to come and tell me they're '_sorry'_ but they don't have another one? I'll show them sorry!"

"She didn't finish her sentence. You don't even know what she was going to sa-"

"I saw the look on her face. That was _not_ an expression bearing good news!"

"Maybe they can fix it!" Dimitri's voice was hopeful as I ran out of breath and stopped struggling against his hold.

"It's a lace overlay that covers the entire dress, Dimitri! And not only have they managed to tear through that, but they've also managed to ruin the satin shift underneath it!" Tears stung the backs of my eyes as my chest heaved. "I know I sound like a whiny bitch, but I just want this to work out. We've had so many bumps in everything that we've done since we got together; I just want this to be perfect."

"And it will be," Dimitri turned me in his arms and cupped my face. "I promise you, Roza. It _will_ be perfect and everything that we wanted. Didn't you have a backup dress, one that you said you'd look at if this one didn't work out?" I nodded and blinked the tears away as he let me go and reached out to take my jumper from Mia. "Then let's go see if that shop has one in stock."

* * *

><p>"Your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury," Charlotte's voice rang out sharp and clear in the silent court room as she began her opening statement. The judge, Alberta Petrov, glanced between Adrian and I a few times, before focusing her attention back onto Charlotte.<p>

Mia squeezed my hand in support as Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and pressed a kiss to my temple. Everyone had taken the day off work to turn up for the first court date; Mia, Lissa and Christian, my mum and dad, Mr and Mrs. Dragomir, and Mia had informed me that Mason was going to try and come in during his lunch break. Mia and Dimitri were also present because they were witnesses, like I was; but first and foremost, they were here in a show of support.

Adrian sat across the room, in the defendant box with a police officer on either side of him. He looked like a lawyer rather than someone on trial, in a brand new black suit and a crisp white shirt. Camille was sat in the gallery, worry and tension clear to see in her features and body posture. Clearly, where Adrian was confident and cocky, she was smart and realistic.

His cold, green eyes met mine and he grinned as I flinched. His smirk was one filled with promise, and I silently sent up another prayer that the courts wouldn't let him get away with what he'd done a second time. Dimitri's arm tightened around my waist as Mia flipped Adrian the bird and bared her teeth back in response.

"Today, the defendant will try to convince you that he is innocent. He will try to assure you that the attack which left my client in intensive care for a week, and on a normal ward for a further three weeks, was purely accidental. He will try to convince you that on the night of the tenth of April, he did not strategically plan and carry out a vicious, cruel attack that's left Ms. Hathaway with severe, long-lasting effects and injuries. Ms. Hathaway hopes to get married in a few months, but thanks to Mr. Ivashkov, it's still unsure as to whether she'll even be able to walk down the aisle. He has a history of domestic abuse, also with Ms. Hathaway, and of child neglect, not only with his children with my client, but also with those of his mistress, Miss. Camille Conta."

I sucked in a sharp breath. Even though I'd given Charlotte permission to make the point of my wedding, because I trusted her to use it to our advantage, it still felt strange to hear her talk about it so openly. I waited to see what else she had in store to reveal. Even though the opening statement was supposed to be brief, Charlotte wanted to hit them hard from the start, and to make sure they knew _everything_.

"In fact, he was neglectful to the point that one of his children with Miss. Conta now lives with Ms. Hathaway. Why if, my client was such a 'bad and malicious' person that she would 'make up' an attack that left her in hospital for a month, would her husband's mistress sign over all parental responsibility and rights to her?" Some of the jury members looked shocked, so I could only guess that they hadn't read through their case files fully. "Please, your honour, and members of the jury, don't let him get away with what he's done and be released only so that he can try again, and maybe even succeed this time. Thank you."

Charlotte sat down, a satisfied look covering her features as she pulled out a notepad, ready for the defence to make their rebuttal.

Adrian's lawyer, Ralf Voda stood and flipped through a few of his papers before presenting his opening statement. "Your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury." He paused again and I stifled a giggle as Charlotte rolled her eyes. As she'd said during our discussions, he was a 'performer', and was doing his best to put on a great show in the hopes of distracting them so he'd win. "Mr. Ivashkov could not have possibly done what he was accused of doing in good conscience. Mr. Ivashkov is a loving family man, who could not carry out such a heinous crime. His supposed attack on Ms. Hathaway was, in fact, an act of self-defence in response to the assault by Ms. Hathaway's boyfriend, Mr. Belikov. Ms. Hathaway unfortunately got in the middle and so, was injured. Don't let the prosecution colour your judgement unfairly, and cause you to send an innocent man to prison. Thank you."

Dimitri tensed up beside me when his name was mentioned, and Lissa actually hissed. I grinned, despite myself.

I was incredibly lucky to have such supportive family members.

* * *

><p>After the opening statements had been made, things had progressed rather slowly.<p>

The evidence was shown and passed around for the jurors to look over; my hospital report from seven years ago, the recordings of the nuisance calls, the x-rays of my hip, skull and arm that had been taken after the attack, and finally, the report from my psychological examination. Adrian's motives had also been presented, as was the fact that he didn't have a solid alibi, except that he'd also been 'shopping'.

Then Adrian's lawyer had called up their first witness.

_Mia_.

She looked the picture of innocence, much like Lissa did when she was thinking about the best approach to screw someone over.

She smiled serenely as Ralf called her to the stand, and in a very Lissa-ish move, carefully folded her skirt as she sat down and crossed her ankles before she swore to tell the honest truth.

"Miss. Rinaldi," Adrian's pompous barrister leered at her before assuming his professional stance.

"Where were you on the night of the tenth of April, 2012?"

Mia regarded him coolly before answering. "Depending on what time you're referring to, I was either; working, getting ready to go home or calling an ambulance to help my beaten best friend, or looking after her children while she was in _hospital_."

"Between the hours of eight o'clock and eleven o'clock in the evening. In detail, if you will, Miss. Rinaldi."

"I was called by Dimitri sometime between quarter past and half past eight. I-"

"How do you know what time it was?" Mia glared at him for interrupting.

"If you'd shut up and at least let me get more than a sentence into my recount you'd know that, wouldn't you?"

Quiet laughter echoed around the court room as Ralf's face flushed and he nodded meekly for Mia to continue.

"As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, Rose had left work just after eight. We'd been talking and getting ready to leave at the same time because our shifts that day ended at the same time. However, we didn't leave at the same time because I needed to ask a co-worker to swap a shift with me. We said our goodbyes, and Rose left. Not even twenty minutes later, Dimitri called me, asking if Rose had left yet. When I told him that she'd left, I started to get worried and said he should go look for her. He told me where he was parked, and I left work to try and follow the route she'd take."

"And did you find Ms. Hathaway?"

Mia nodded. "I did. She was crumpled at the base of the second flight of stairs. She was cov-" Ralf started to interrupt her again, but she held up her hand. "You wanted it in detail, did you not, Mr Voda?"

"Yes, but-"

Mia ignored his protests and continued to talk, to the amusement of the jury and the people in the gallery.

"Rose couldn't move. She didn't respond when I called her name. Blood covered her face and her arm looked broken while her hips looked… I can't describe it because I'm not a doctor. She was in really bad shape," Mia turned from the jury to point an accusing finger at Adrian, "Because of that son of a bitch."

A sly smile crept onto Ralf's lips. "Was anyone else present when you found Ms. Hathaway?"

Mia nodded. "Her fiancé."

"Mr. Belikov?"

"Yes. As I _already_ mentioned, he was picking her up from work."

"And what was Mr. Belikov doing when you came across the scene?"

Mia paused, and Ralf grinned. "He was," She swallowed, and Dimitri tensed beside me as I bit my lip. We'd been hoping, foolishly, that it wouldn't be brought up. But as Charlotte said, it was the only point in Adrian's favour, so it would be his major defence. "He was fighting with Adrian."

"Fighting? That's the adjective you'd use, Miss. Rinaldi?"

Mia nodded.

"Because from the police statements, it didn't sound like they were fighting. It sounded like Mr Belikov was beating, if you'll excuse my French, the _shit_ out of my client. Mr. Ivashkov was beaten into unconsciousness, whilst Mr. Belikov didn't have a scratch-"

"Objection!" Charlotte stood up.

The judge stared her down. "On what grounds?"

"This line of 'questioning' serves no purpose to the case. Quibbling over adjectives is pointless. And he's influencing the witness unduly."

"Sustained. Please get to the point or move onto your next question, Mr. Voda."

Ralf pursed his lips. "Yes, your Honour. Miss. Rinaldi, would you say that it was a fair fight?"

Mia hesitated again, and then nodded. "Yes."

"Yes?" Ralf feigned surprise. "Even though Mr. Belikov outweighs my client by at least a stone and is taller than him by seven inches?"

"Adrian was drunk and crazy. So regardless of any physical advantages you're trying to hint at Mr. Voda, yes, I think it was a fair fight."

Ralf nodded. "That it may be. However, why were Mr. Belikov and my client fighting in the first place, Miss Rinaldi?"

"I don't know. Why would they be fighting, Mr. Voda? You guess is as good as mine."

Ralf blanched as laughter echoed around the court room once more. "I'll rephrase the question so you can understand me, Miss. Rinaldi. In your personal opinion, why do you think that Mr. Belikov and my client were fighting?"

Mia's eyes narrowed as she glared at Adrian. "Because your client _attacked_ Rose."

"But you weren't there when this supposed attack took place, were you?"

Mia shook her head.

"Answer please, Miss Rinaldi."

Mia glared at him. "No."

"So how can you say, with all certainty, that it was in fact my client who attacked Miss Hathaway?"

Mia stayed silent, and Ralf turned to face the jury.

"In fact, ladies and gentlemen, _no one_ can say with any certainty that it _was_ my client who attacked Ms. Hathaway. So how do we know that it wasn't, in fact, her fiancé who attacked her, and then fought Mr. Ivashkov when he tried to intervene and defend her?"

"Objection!" Ralf ignored Charlotte and continued to preach to the jury.

"How do we know that this attack wasn't an elaborate ruse, concocted between Ms. Hathaway and her fiancé, Mr. Belikov? We know that Ms Hathaway has lied in court before, during her divorce pro-"

"OBJECTION!"

Charlotte was red faced as she glared at Ralf.

"It has since been proven that Ms. Hathaway was in fact, telling the truth and it is _your_ client, who was perjuring as well as being an adulterer and abusive!"

Ralf grinned like a cat who'd got the cream as he ignored Charlotte's outburst and turned back to face Mia.

"No further questions Miss. Rinaldi."

* * *

><p>"Miss. Rinaldi," Charlotte was calm and composed as she started her cross examination. "When did you first meet Ms. Hathaway?"<p>

Mia visibly relaxed. "Almost six years ago, when she started working at Tesco's."

"The same Tesco's where she was attacked?"

"Yes."

Charlotte nodded thoughtfully. "Going back to six years ago, do you know why my client started working at Tesco?"

"Objection!" Ralf looked confused.

Alberta looked irritated. "Why, Mr. Voda?"

"This line of 'questioning' serves no purpose to the case. Who cares why she started working there."

The judge turned to Charlotte. "Does this have a point Ms. Vasquez?"

"Yes, your honour."

Alberta nodded. "Then you may continue."

"Thank you," Charlotte faced Mia once again. "Miss. Rinaldi. Do you know the reason why Ms Hathaway began working at Tesco?"

Mia nodded and threw another glare in Adrian's direction. "Adrian had pretty much wrecked her in the divorce. She had next to nothing and three children to support. She was already working two jobs, but that wasn't enough to cover their living costs."

"Really?" Charlotte feigned surprise. "So Mr. Ivashkov already had a history of mistreating Ms. Hathaway?"

Mia nodded. "The things he did to her were awful."

"Like?"

"He threatened her, on several separate occasions. He forced his way into her house. He's scared their children, and his own child, to the point that they look up to Rose's fiancé as their father figure."

Charlotte nodded again. "What are your thoughts on Mr. Belikov?"

"Objection!" Ralf looked angry because his last protest had been rejected.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I'll rephrase. How long have you known Mr. Belikov for?"

"Three, almost four years."

"And in that time, have you ever heard of Mr. Belikov acting aggressively or raising his hand in a violent manner towards Ms. Hathaway?"

Mia shook her head. "No. He would never harm Rose."

"Has he ever raised his hand towards any of their children?"

Mia shook her head again. "No. He's firm, but fair when he tells them off, and only when they've been naughty. He would never harm them either. He loves those kids as though they're his own flesh and blood."

"Can you please clarify what you meant when you said that Mr. Ivashkov has scared his own child'?"

Mia sat forwards in her seat slightly. "I mean that Katrina had a sleepover at Rose's, and didn't want to go home because Adrian was there. She was crying and apologising. Her reaction was like she was being punished when all Rose did was ask if everything at home was okay."

"And why would she ask that?"

"Because of Katrina's reaction to Dimitri. She looked over to him for confirmation before she did anything, despite the fact that she'd never met him before. When Rose questioned her she confessed that she wasn't frightened of Dimitri, but she was worried she'd do something wrong and that they'd send her home."

"In your own personal opinion, Miss. Rinaldi, at the time of the attack, did Ms. Hathaway have any reason to plot with her fiancé in order to incriminate Mr. Ivashkov?"

"No," Mia's voice was firm and absolute. "She'd just gotten engaged. The annulment of her marriage to Adrian had been finalised. She was going through the process of legally becoming Katrina's guardian and having full parental responsibility. She'd finally gotten away from Adrian and her life was on track. She wouldn't do something so stupid and pathetic that could potentially mess all that up."

Charlotte smiled gratefully at Mia's last statement and then turned to the judge.

"No further questions, your honour."

* * *

><p>Your honour, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,"<p>

Charlotte stood and smoothed her skirt. It was time for the next witness, and Charlotte was asking questions first. The defence would ask afterwards.

"I call Dimitri Belikov to the stand."

* * *

><p><strong>Hehe, I know I'm evil for cutting it there! Next up, we have Dimitri, Rose and a couple of other witnesses, plus the rehearsal dinner. :)<strong>

**Now, please, be patient. I have an exam on Tuesday so there will **_**not**_** be an update until **_**Wednesday**_** at the earliest. Simply saying 'UPDATE!' is not going to make it happen any faster. **

**I also have two other pieces that need to be completed within the next two weeks, so this story may have to wait until they're done so that they're finished by the deadlines. **

**Thank you for waiting patiently. Xx**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five.**

**My exams are over for now and coursework isn't due in for another week and a half, so let's see how this court case is doing.**

* * *

><p>I need to clear something up. I understand that a lot of you want to see RxD with a little baby Belikov and yes, I would also like to see them with one. It would be adorable and it would be incredibly sweet to see Dimitri holding his new born child. Yes, he does deserve it.<p>

However, I have made it very clear that I know exactly where this story is going. It's all planned out and several future chapters are already written. Please don't tell me that Dimitri said he wants his own child, he didn't. He said it would be nice, but that he and Rose already have four kids and he's happy with what they have. As for Mia having the baby for LxC, she's offered, but Rose is always going to be the first choice because she and Lissa are so much closer.

**Rose and Dimitri may have a baby, they may not.** What Rose is doing for Lissa and Christian is an extremely selfless and giving act of friendship and love. Even if she has a baby for them, she and Dimitri can still have a baby afterwards. And like she said, **they won't try until after the wedding and court case. A lot can happen in two months. **

Apologies for the long wait, coursework is kicking my bum. Good news, the next chapter just needs to be pieced together and edited, and it's good to go!

**Hopefully, any further questions/arguments about that topic are answered in this chapter.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Rose?"<em>

"_Yeah, Liss?" My eyes flickered from where I'd been watching Andre flirt with everything in a skirt and without a wedding ring, to meet her concerned gaze._

"_I really appreciate what you're willing to do for me, really I am," She paused and her hands began to fiddle with the edge of the tablecloth as my gaze scanned the room; briefly landing on Dimitri and Christian stood by the bar, laughing and joking together. _

_The grin that had spread across Christian's face as soon as we'd told them what our present was hadn't faded, and from the looks of things, he was buying Dimitri yet another thank you drink, despite Dimitri's protests._

"_Spit it out, Liss." I had an inkling as to what was on her mind, but I wanted her to get it off her chest herself, rather than to make false assumptions._

"_Just… don't you and Dimitri want kids of your own? I mean, I know that you've got your family already, but don't you want a baby that's _yours_? Truly and completely?" I stayed silent, knowing she had more to say. "And, are you sure you want to risk this pregnancy on me? I mean, this will be your fourth pregnancy, Rose. You know that it gets more and more dangerous, especially as we get older. I'm not trying to change your mind, Christian and I want this so badly, it's all we've ever really wanted. But, I _can't_ take that chance away from you and Dimitri."_

_I smiled and turned to Lissa, taking her hands in mine so that she met my gaze. "Lissa, we've talked about all this. This wasn't a spur of the moment decision. From the moment we found out that you and Sparky couldn't have kids, we'd been thinking up alternatives. Dimitri was the one who mentioned surrogacy in the first place. Even though we don't have a child that belongs to the both of us biologically, we do still have a family, and we want that for you and Christian too."_

_Her jaw dropped. "Dimitri suggested it?"_

_I nodded. "Yeva was a surrogate for a few people in Baia after she had Olena apparently. I guess that's where he got the idea from. We all still need to sit down and talk through all the details, as well as meet with a doctor, but after the wedding and the court case."_

_Her gaze was sombre as she nodded. "Of course, I don't want to add any extra stress to your life at the moment." Happy tears filled her eyes as she leant in to hug me again. "Thank you, Rose. Thank you both, so, so much."_

The memory ended as Charlotte continued to question Dimitri.

"Mr. Belikov. You've already explained to the members of the jury what happened leading up the events on the night of the incident between Ms. Hathaway and Mr. Ivashkov, and how you went to investigate after she stopped answering her phone and you'd called Miss. Rinaldi. What exactly did you find?"

"I found her at the bottom of the flight of stairs that lead to the floor of the car park I was on. She was curled in on herself and _Adrian_-" Dimitri swallowed heavily and took a deep breath. "Was stood over her with a knife."

Rhea gasped with horror while my dad started to make notes on his phone. My mother murmured something into his ear and he grinned darkly before glancing over at Adrian.

The kids weren't here for this part of the trial. I'd agreed to let Alyssa and Katrina give evidence, but only if they were comfortable with doing so. I wasn't going to force them into the spotlight just so that we could win the case. If they wanted to testify, Charlotte was going to call them in closer to the end, so that they didn't have to hear all the details about what happened. I didn't want them to be frightened like they had been when they'd seen me in the hospital.

"And what did you do after that?"

"I tackled him to the ground. I wanted him away from Roza before he could do anything to hurt her further."

"And then you both engaged in a physical fight?"

Dimitri nodded. "Yes."

"Why did you fight back? Why not just push him away?"

"Because I was scared for Roza. I was terrified that pushing Adrian away wasn't going to do enough. He reeked of alcohol and he had a knife. I wasn't going to take any chances, and unfortunately, I couldn't stop myself. I was just so scared-" Dimitri's breath hitched, and a most of the women on the jury sighed sympathetically, tears brimming in their eyes as they watched him. "She wasn't moving and there was so much blood. I thought she was dead and I wanted to punish Adrian for what he'd done. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"He's a goddamned good actor." My father chuckled as my gaze snapped across to meet his.

"You think he's lying?"

"No," Abe shook his head, his eyes serious as they met mine. "I don't doubt his words or the feeling behind them for a second. If I did, I wouldn't have bailed him out or saved his ass. But I do know that Dimitri wants to get up from the witness stand and give Ivashkov another beating. Which he deserves. Look at him, the smarmy little fucker."

"Abe!" He grinned threateningly at Adrian and then turned to face me, his expression blasé and carefree.

"Yes, kiz?"

"Cut it out."

His eyes widened innocently. "I was just stating the facts. Dimitri's got the entire court eating out of the palm of his hand. The women anyway." He chuckled and glanced at me teasingly. "You might have competition."

My disbelieving snort stopped anything else he had to say.

"Prior to the incident in question, has Mr. Ivashkov ever harassed you or Miss. Hathaway?"

"He's turned up at our house, uninvited, several times. On one of those occasions, he forced his way in. We've also had several nuisance calls from him."

"Like the ones we heard when the evidence was being played?" Dimitri nodded as Charlotte continued and turned to the jury. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. As well as hearing samples from the recordings of Mr Ivashkov's nuisance calls, you've also seen the CCTV video from the night in question. If you'd please turn to page four, you'll see stills from the video, which clearly show Mr. Ivashkov during his attack on Miss. Hathaway."

The jury dutifully turned, and their faces hardened.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen. If Mr. Ivashkov can lie to you about that, what makes you think that he's not lied about everything else?"

* * *

><p>"Mr. Belikov," Adrian's lawyer was sweating and his expression showed he was out of options. Adrian had nothing to fall back on. He'd had no alibi from the start, and with the added pressure of Adrian's perjuring being shown up, he was running out of options. Charlotte grinned as she waited to see what he'd come up with. "You've known Miss Hathaway for how long?"<p>

Dimitri glanced at me, his features softening as he did so.

"It'll be four years this September."

Ralf nodded. "And how much do you actually know about Ms. Hathaway's past?"

"Everything." Dimitri's voice was sure and confident.

"Really?" Despite being on the losing side, Ralf still sounded like a condescending pig.

"Yes, Mr. Voda. _Really_."

"And how well would you say Miss. Hathaway knew you and your past?"

"Just as much, if not more."

"Does she know about the violence in your past?"

Dimitri's brow furrowed. "I don't understand what you mean. My past isn't violent."

"What I mean, Mr. Belikov, is the night that you punched Mr. Ivashkov and knocked him unconscious."

Dimitri's shoulders tensed. "That was in self-defence for Roza. He'd forced his way into our hou-"

Ralf cut him off, "Or what about when you were thirteen?" He turned to face the jury, and I realised that the fight might not have been over as quickly as we thought. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll turn to the final page of your files, you'll see the police report, from the incident when Mr. Belikov was thirteen years old. He attacked his father, beating him to the point of death, much like he did to my client a few weeks ago."

Anger flared in Dimitri's eyes as Charlotte stood up, fury playing across her features.

"Objection!"

The judge didn't seem to hear her as Ralf carried on with his speech.

"If you turn to the page before that ladies and gentlemen, you'll see photographic evidence from the police report when Mr. Belikov's friends were found dead in their apartment after some shady deals went awry. Though Mr. Belikov was not involved in those deals, it's clear to see that the company he keeps is not the best, and that he has deep rooted anger issues from his childhood."

_Oh damn._

Ralf had crossed the line by mentioning Ivan's death so callously.

Dimitri was livid, and looked like he wanted to jump down from the witness box and strangle Ralf, much like Charlotte did.

While Dimitri's eyes darkened with anger and his hands clenched into fists, Charlotte's entire face flushed with anger.

Dimitri's teeth were gritted as he addressed Ralf. "I had nothing to do with Ivan's death. And you failed to mention that when I fought with my father, it was for my mother's protection because he was a vile, cheating, _abusive_ scumbag, much like your client."

"But that's still a lot of coincidences, is it not? You always 'protecting' these women? In this day and age, women are all about equality and defending themselves. You having to do that on more than three separate occasions sounds very suspect to me."

In a remarkable show of self-restraint, Dimitri didn't so anything. Instead, he took a deep breath and sat back as Charlotte finally succeeded in gaining the judges attention.

"Objection on the grounds that the defence is putting words into my witnesses mouth. Grigory Belikov has since been jailed for domestic abuse towards Olena Belikova, so your argument has no legal standing as Mr. Belikov _did_ fight on his mother's behalf. Regarding Mr. Zeklos, he and their other flatmate were involved in drugs. That's a dangerous pastime to become involved in, and sadly, one they didn't get out of in time. You cannot hold Mr. Belikov responsible for their actions."

"Sustained." A small smile pulled at the judge's lips as Charlotte smirked at Ralf who had paled and turned to face Dimitri.

"No further questions."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Ivashkov…"<p>

Butterflies were jumping around in my stomach as Ralf questioned Adrian. There was very little that they could say to prove their side of the story, but that didn't stop me from bouncing around in my seat and feeling like I was going to throw up.

"Calm down, Roza," Dimitri's lips pressed to my temple as his arm slipped around my waist. "It'll be okay. Charlotte knows what she's doing. Once Ralf finishes she'll rip Adrian's defence to shreds."

I sighed and nodded as he pulled me a little closer, letting the scent of his aftershave soothe my nerves.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Ivashkov. Where were you on the tenth of April 2012, between eight o'clock and ten o'clock in the evening?"<p>

"No comment."

"What are your feelings towards my client?"

"No comment."

"Did you or did you not attack my client on the night in question?"

"No comment."

Charlotte sighed exasperatedly, and flicked through her notepad. She'd asked Adrian several questions already, all of which had met the same bored stare and monotone answer, and now she was doubling back on herself to see if he'd changed his mind.

"Those tactics won't work here, Mr. Ivashkov. We're not in a police station anymore."

His expression didn't change, and she waited.

I knew from personal experience that she was stubborn as hell, even more so than I was, and wondered briefly who would crack first.

It seemed the judge did, because she suddenly slammed down her gavel.

"Mr. Voda, if your client won't answer, I see no reason for him to remain on the stand." Then she turned to Charlotte. Do you have any more witnesses for today, Ms. Valdez?"

Charlotte shook her head. "Only my client. However, I'm only going to have her testify if the jury feel that it's needed, or if they do not wish to hear the testimonies from her two children. We also have a doctor and psychologist willing to bear witness, but most of what they have to say can be found in the jury members' files."

"Then this hearing is adjourned, you will be notified as to whether your additional witnesses are needed or not."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure it looks okay?" I gazed down at the creamy lace that covered my body, my forehead creasing as I tried to be realistic about my wedding dress, despite the fact that I wanted to shout with joy.<p>

"It's a perfect fit, Rose. Trust me. I would know."

"Yeah, yeah, you're a seamstress and all that."

"Then actually take her advice and stop worrying. You don't look fat, that dress is even better than the first one, and Dimitri's going to want to rip it off the moment he lays eyes on you." Lissa snickered at Mia's words, while my mum rolled her eyes at their antics and motioned for me to turn around.

"What do you think?"

Strangely, I was more nervous about her judgement than I was about Dimitri's thoughts on the dress.

She paused and studied me a little while longer, her gaze raking me from head to toe before a smile broke across her face.

"You look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

"Do you think Dimitri will like it? He hasn't seen this one _on_ me yet."

"He'll love it."

Mia and Lissa giggled to each other. "We've also seen him in his tux-"

"That man looks pant-droppingly gorgeous-"

"You might have a hard time not ripping _his_ clothes off when you see him."

My eyes widened as my mother laughed with them.

"Mum!"

"What?" Even I can appreciate that man is good looking. And he has an ass to die for."

The last part was a mumble, but we all still heard. My jaw dropped and Mia and Lissa froze, and then agreed with her as they all burst into laughter.

I scowled, but my mother placated me. "Just remember, it's you he's coming home to at the end of each day, and it's you he'll be marrying. You look absolutely beautiful, and you'll look even more so on your wedding day." Her eyes grew a little red as she spoke, and then she excused herself to go to the bathroom.

"Is she crying?"

Lissa grinned at the shocked tone of my voice.

"Of course she is. You're her only child, Rose, and despite all the bad feelings that you've shared between you, she loves you. When you think about it, she and your dad have only just gotten you back, and now they're going to lose you again. Figuratively speaking."

Then Mia grinned. "You could always get it on with your fiancé and announce that there's a little squirmy bundle of joy on the way. I bet actually getting the chance to be a grandma to her grandchildren would cheer her up."

"That's not funny!"

Mia smirked. "You only say that because you know it's true. Don't you and Dimitri want another screaming brat?"

I shuddered. "When you put it that way… _no_. Dirty nappies, waking up every other hour to feed them or change their nappies or to cuddle them and hum nursery rhymes til they shut up..." I grinned at Lissa. "You and Sparky have all that to look forwards to. Enjoy your lie-ins while you can," I warned. "Once that baby arrives you won't get another one until they leave home."

Mia burst into giggles at Lissa's horrified expression. "Why do you think I'm so adamant about the fact that I'm not going to ever have kids?"

"Oh yeah? What about Mason?"

"What about him?"

"Doesn't he want to tie the knot and settle down?"

Mia almost choked on her chewing gum. "We haven't even been together for a year, including all the break ups! If he wants to get married he needs to find someone who doesn't get pissed off at his idiotic acts."

"What did he do this time?" Lissa sounded smug as I shook my head.

"He forgot me! We went shopping, and he left without me!" I had to walk home in _heels_ with his stupid birthday present because he forgot that I told him to go in a different shop so I could buy it without him watching."

"What was it?"

"Some limited edition comic he'd been raving on about for weeks. I switched it with a cheap magazine I had in my bag and pretended to burn it when I got home." She grinned evilly and then laughed. "He looked like he was going to pass out or cry."

"Christian did that once as well. He forgot my puppy's birthday-"

"Liss, didn't your puppy die when we were fourteen?" I remembered the dog her parents had bought her, some little yappy thing that never shut up and always ended up locked in the back garden whenever I went to their house.

"I know, but Christian should have remembered. We hadn't been together that long, and at the start of a relationship it's the little things like that that prove you're serious about giving things a go."

A wry smile pulled at my lips, while Mia looked confused.

"So what did you do to him?"

Lissa smirked. "A little while before he'd bought this really, _really_ ugly white and embroidered tablecloth. I hated it, and he loved it. I 'accidentally' put it in a wash with his bright red socks and t-shirt."

"I knew you had a naughty side to you, Liss."

Mia grinned. "Of course she does. Did you ever use the beginner's pack I bought for you?"

"Yes!" Lissa's eyes lit up. "Christian went wild when I cuffed him to the bed! It was like our honeymoon all over again. Raw passion and heat and incredible orgasms."

"Have you tried spank-"

"Shut up!" My hands were pressed against my ears firmly. "I've told you both so many times that I don't want to hear about the kinky stuff you do with your significant others. Talk about it when I'm not there!"

Mia rolled her eyes as my mum re-entered the room, her eyes still a little red.

"Hurry and get changed so we can go home. We still have a lot of final details to check over. The next two weeks are going to pass by much faster than you realise."

* * *

><p><strong>The wedding will either be next or the chapter after, depends upon how things work out while I'm adding to the what I've already written. It's about time they got hitched! xD<strong>

If you haven't already done so, please check out my latest drabble '**Ten days and a little… Luck.**' It was written for the Drabble Wars 'Lucky' prompt challenge and is now complete. :) Also check out '**Doctor Dilemma'**. I wrote it for a close friend's birthday, and I hope that you'll also enjoy reading it.

Also, check out our facebook group '**Juliet had it easy; she never had to kill Romeo**.' It's a group for friendly discussion and sharing between lovers of the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead since there are no others here on facebook for this fabulous series!

If you're an author, feel free to post links to your profile and/or your VA fics as well as teasers for upcoming chapters in your fics. If you're a reader (or an author) feel free to also post up links to fics you'd like to recommend other VA fans read (and make sure to add them to the corresponding docs). This group is also a place to talk about the books.

**If you want to see some of the potential dresses, cakes and flowers etc for the wedding check out my profile on fb 'Nicia VA-ff'. The album is public, so you don't need to add me to see them.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six.**

**I'm back with nothing much to say, except to please check out the o/s 'Just a Kiss.' It's a collab between untamed00notbroken and me for the DCM Spring Squeezing Contest. We came 2****nd**** place in the Judges Vote, and also won the 'Steamiest' award. ;)**

**Also, if you've not already done so, check out the VA fanfic writing competition in the facebook group. **'**Juliet had it easy; she never had to kill Romeo**.' **You get your very own banner as a prompt and to keep afterwards, and prizes are awarded for best o/s, best multi chap, best use of banner etc…**

**Huge thanks to Little Angry Kitten and for all the practically 24/7 WC's! My gosh, I can't believe we wrote so much so often! xD**

* * *

><p>"Put these on, grab your bags, and then we are taking you out on <em>the best<em> hen night ever." Mia and Lissa pushed past me into the hallway.

A pair of neon pink legwarmers were thrust into my arms, along with what I hoped was a pair of black shorts and _not_ a miniskirt and a bright pink strappy top that had 'HEAD HEN' written across the bust in bold black lettering.

"We'll give you your heels and do your make up in the car." Lissa's voice was all business as Mia pushed me towards the stairs.

"What?"

They rolled their eyes. "It's your hen night, Rose. We have you for the weekend, well today and Saturday technically, and the guys have Dimitri today and Saturday, and then on Sunday you can both try to make each other jealous by talking non-stop about how great your nights were."

"Then next weekend you have the rehearsal dinner, and then the weekend after that…"

"You guys get hitched!"

"Now go get changed!"

"But- but-"

"No complaining!"

"But that won't cover anything!"

"Good! It's your last endeavour as a single lady. We _want_ the guys to be checking you out."

"But it's so bright and-"

"Would you rather wear this?" What Mia held up was something I'd have expected to see in a porn film. It was all white, sheer lace and netting with a _tiny_ underskirt-turned-mini dress type thing underneath. At my horrified expression she grinned triumphantly. "Thought not. Now unless you want to wear _this_ bride-to-be outfit, I suggest you get showered and into the other clothes we gave you. It's ten past four. You have twenty minutes to be ready and in my car."

* * *

><p>Dimitri only chuckled and passed me an overnight bag as Lissa and Mia dragged me to the door.<p>

"You knew. And you prepared my stuff so I couldn't take the time packing to think up an excuse."

It was a statement, not a question and he nodded bashfully.

"I did."

"That's why your mum and dad are looking after the kids tonight. It's not because Dimitri needs some time to relax on his own." Mia tugged on my arm again. "We need to go or our whole schedule is going to be thrown off."

"Have fun." Dimitri's voice was soft as he pulled my coat around my shoulders a little more. "Be careful."

I sighed and leant into his chest as my arms hugged him tightly. "I will be. You be safe too. And don't let any of those hungry women even entertain the thought that they can get a piece of you."

He chuckled. "Never. You're the only woman for me." Then he paused. "Be careful of the men while you're out. Men in-"

"Don't you dare tell her where we're taking her or we'll cut your balls off!"

"Sorry." He chuckled at Mia's threat and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Just be careful once you get out and the night really starts."

I nodded. "No other guys will even register in my mind." I hid my face into his shirt. "I don't even want to go. Don't let them take me. Please?"

"You need to go, Roza. You deserve a girl's night out. And they've promised that it's going to be fun."

I looked up at him sceptically. "My type of fun or their wacked out, crazy 'fun'."

"I have no idea. They refused to tell me what they were planning. All I know is where you're staying in case there's a problem. Just trust them. I'm sure they won't force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with."

"Then why am I in these clothes?"

He laughed and cupped my face in his palms. "You have to take that issue up with them. Now you better get going before Mia loses her patience and explodes."

"I love you."

He leant down as I pushed up onto my tiptoes and pressed his lips to mine softly. My arms wrapped around his neck as his slipped around m y waist and pulled me in against his chest as he kissed me deeply before pulling back and pressing three soft pecks to my lips.

"I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Bye." Embarrassingly, my eyes started to fill with tears as I kissed Dimitri one last time and hugged him tightly before Lissa patted my back and took my hand.

"You'll be back sooner than you think, Rose. It's only for a night and I promise you'll enjoy yourself. And if you really don't like what you're wearing, we do have back up costumes you can pick from."

I nodded and sniffled as I turned back to give Dimitri one last kiss.

And another.

And another.

"I love you."

His eyes were sad as he moved with me to the door. "I love you too." His arms wrapped around my waist again.

"If you two don't stop sucking face I'm going to go get a crowbar."

My breath was shaky as I reluctantly pulled out of Dimitri's embrace, pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and then tightened the belt on my coat.

"Don't let Christian and Mason make you do anything too crazy."

He chuckled. "Same for you. I love you"

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"What. The. <em>HELL<em>!"

I was currently dressed in my brightly coloured ensemble while Mia and Lissa were in similar outfits to what they'd handed me at home, except Lissa had all pink, and Mia was in blue.

And we were in a small exercise studio, in central London, with our instructor and a podium.

They'd booked me a pole dancing lesson.

With a male instructor who looked like he was currently undressing us with his eyes.

This wasn't going to go well.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

I could only laugh and shake my head as Christian and Mason turned up to the house – Christian with a bottle of Russian vodka tucked under one arm, and a large plastic bag in his free hand, while Mason held a six pack of beer.

"Let's get you ready to go out, Belikov!"

The plastic bag was thrust into my arms as they made their way into the front room. "Get changed, then come down here for a drink, and then we'll go paint the town red."

"How many has he had?" My voice was low as Christian opened one of the cans.

Mason shrugged. "I think that's his second? Third? He had one in the car, and by the looks of things he'd drunk something before I picked him up. He almost forgot to lock his front door."

I grinned. "Bet you a tenner that he passes out before we even leave the house."

Mason grinned. "He's been planning tonight for weeks. I doubt being a little drunk is going to stop him from seeing it through."

I rifled through the bag. "Are you guys serious? I know it's my stag do and you want to attract a crowd, but _pink_? Really?"

Christian grinned. "The other guys will be here soon, so hurry and get changed. Just be glad it wasn't a French Maid outfit like Mason suggested."

My jaw dropped as they both laughed.

"Mason, if you ever manage to get Mia to settle down, just remember that I don't forget things."

"Yeah, yeah," Christian waved off my threat. "Go get changed. Mason, come help me finish this to-do list."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later and I was back downstairs. They'd given me a choice; a strappy black mankini; or pink leggings, no shirt, pink fairy wings that had feathers round the edges, and deely boppers that had red hearts. I'd chosen the latter. There was no way I was walking around the city centre in what looked like a piece of string.<p>

Christian and Mason had brightly coloured shorts and t-shirts which had slogan 'STAG SUPPORT' printed across the back. Like me, they were wearing deely boppers, except Christian's had yellow stars and Mason's had blue ones.

Once I'd reappeared in the front room, a beer had been placed into each of my hands, and then I'd been pushed down onto the sofa so they could write on my bare chest.

"I hope that's not permanent marker pen."

They both snorted and didn't answer my question.

"There."

I glanced down to see 'KISS ME, IT'S MY LAST NIGHT AS A SINGLE MAN!' scrawled across my chest. Underneath that was an arrow that pointed down to below the waistband of my tights.

"Please tell me that's going to wash off."

They both grinned at each other and then shook their heads. "Not for a couple of days at least."

"And only if you scrub it really, really hard."

I groaned. "Rose is going to kill you both. And then she's going to kill me. And it's going to hurt, a lot."

"That's why we're making this a night to remember!" Christian's grin was infectious as Mason tapped my arm so I continued to drink the beers they'd given me. "You're going to get so smashed that you won't remember any of it. And we're going to video tape the entire night. Just imagine Rose's face she watches it and sees you completing the to-do list we've made for you."

I briefly wondered whether it was too late to try and make a break for it and then sighed.

If I didn't go out with them tonight, I knew they'd just keep coming back until I gave in. Or they'd whine to Lissa and Mia, who would tell Rose, and then she'd make me go out with them.

"I'm not getting drunk."

They grinned. "Trust us, you will."

"No I won't. I know how to handle my alcohol."

Famous last words.

* * *

><p>"Drink, drink, drink, drink!"<p>

Christian, Mason and two of my work colleagues, Eddie and Ambrose, cheered me on as the barmaid lined up five shots of Russian vodka in front of me.

"Come on, Dimitri." Christian's voice was slurred. "Ten seconds to down all of them."

"Do it, do it, do it."

It seemed like the rest of the bar was chanting along with them.

"GO!"

My head spun after I'd drunk all five shots, but the men in the bar all roared their approval as Christian cheered and signalled for another one to be placed in front of me.

"Let's see if you can do it again!"

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

"Come on, Rosie. Get those legs up."

I groaned as Jesse, our pole dancing instructor, clapped his hands and motioned for me to try and hold myself in the air while lifting my legs up in front of me.

"Not like that, stand up."

I eagerly did as he asked and sighed happily as my straining arm muscles were able to relax. I moved to the side as he grasped the pole and watched with wide eyes as he pushed up slightly and managed to slowly lift his legs and bend backwards so that he was doing a straddle, in the air, whilst upside down.

"See? It's easy."

I snorted and shook my head. "It is not 'easy'."

He set himself back down on his feet and then sighed. "Okay, there's no winning this argument. We've done the chair and the seated spinner, as well as different holds. Let's move onto the sun wheel and some more advanced moves."

"What's that?" Lissa and Mia were flirting up a storm, but his eyes followed me as I backed away to let them have a try first.

"You need to grip the pole firmly like I've been telling you from the start. Make sure it's not so tight that you end up jerking your arm and hurting yourself when you push off and try to spin, but not so loose that you'll lose your grip and, for lack of a better word, fall off."

* * *

><p>I sighed for the hundredth time as Jesse 'helped' me out, by gripping my waist unnecessarily. Once I felt his hand begin to slide down my back, I spun and 'accidentally' kicked him in the shin.<p>

"I have a fiancé. Back off with the constant touching." The words were spoken through gritted teeth as he backed away slightly and held up his hands defensively.

"I was only trying to give you a boost so you could…" He trailed off at my disbelieving glare, and then turned to Mia. "How are you getting on, sweet cheeks?"

Lissa hid her smile as I pretended to gag. "Behave. It's your last night as a single lady; you should be embracing this chance to flirt."

"If it was Dimitri, yeah sure, I'd be more than happy to giggle and be groped. When it's a creep who I only met a couple of hours ago, then no. It's disgusting and it makes me uncomfortable. How long til we can leave? My arms are achy."

She laughed. "As soon as you want. Let's head back to the hotel and freshen up. Mia!"

Her sharp tone of her voice caught Mia's attention, and she pouted before sloping over to where we were stood. "Time to go already?"

"Yes, thank God."

Her eyes brightened up. "You have to do some of your to-do list while we're here."

I groaned as Lissa laughed and pulled it out from her pocket so Mia could look it over. "Now, you can either make our instructors day by removing your bra without leaving the room, or-"

"No way!"

She grinned. "I thought you'd say that. Your other option is to kiss the first guy who speaks to you. Which is also happens to be our sexy instructor."

"He is not sexy."

"Yes he is."

"No he's not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Is too."

"Is not."

"Both of you, cut it out." Lissa sighed and then yelled for Jesse to come over. His face perked up as she did so and I rolled my eyes.

"It's not fair to lead him on. And it's not fair to do that to Dimi-"

"What's up, ladies?"

I fought the urge to shiver.

"As you know, it's Rose's hen night. And one of the things on her list is to kiss the first guy who speaks to her. And that's you."

His grin widened. "I'm always one to help out a damsel in distress."

_Damsel in distress? Seriously, where did he get these lines from?_

My inner ridiculing was cut off by the sensation of his hands on my face, his body pressed up against mine, and then, his wet lips on my own.

My body tensed up but I held still for a moment, hoping he'd take the hint and pull away, but instead he seemed to like the dead fish impression because he moaned and licked at my lips.

_As if I was going to let him put his tongue in my mouth!_

My stomach heaved, and this time I lifted my hands up to his chest and pushed. _Hard_.

He stumbled back, and then stared at me with wide eyes when I slapped him, leaving a bright red hand print on his cheek.

"One, that was the worst 'kiss' I've ever had. Two, when a woman doesn't respond that means you _stop_. And three, what part of '_getting married'_ did you not understand? You're lucky I don't call my fiancé right now! He's a six foot seven Russian badass!"

Jesse's face paled and I smirked. "That's what I thought. Mia, Lissa. We're leaving."

* * *

><p>Now that I'd showered and scrubbed away the feeling of having Jesse's clammy hands on my body and his lips on mine, I was excited to see what Lissa and Mia had in store for the rest of the night.<p>

"I bagsie the Wonder Woman costume!"

Plus, I was a little tipsy.

Lissa giggled while Mia unzipped the other dress bags.

"You have a choice. Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Catwoman, Supergirl, Xena the Warrior Princess, a French Maid, Sheena Queen of the Jungle or She-Ra."

"Who are you guys going as?"

They both shrugged and then drank more of the cocktails Lissa had made. "We'll pick after you've decided."

I grinned. "Like I said before, I pick the Wonder Woman costume."

"Then get that sexy outfit on and drink some more!" Mia's laughter was infectious as she motioned for Lissa to hand me a glass.

"I'm going to go as…" Mia paused. "I don't actually know. I'm stuck between Xena and She-Ra."

Lissa snorted. "Go as She-Ra. She's a blonde, Xena isn't. If you're both superheroes then I better be too. Super_woman_ it is."

* * *

><p>"Guys, wait up!" Mia stumbled in her boots as I adjusted my tiara and checked that everything was still in place before we entered the bar.<p>

This costume was a lot more revealing than I'd expected, being a jumpsuit that seemed to be more of a boob tube and hot pants, but the alcohol in my system numbed my insecurities. Lissa and Mia had 'modified' my outfit by adding a frilly white garter on my right leg, pink fairy wings on my back and a 'BRIDE-TO-BE' sash across my body. My hair had been curled and backcombed so that it fitted the style of my character, while my make-up had been done in a lot more detail than I would have liked. They'd given me neutral eye shadow with heavy eye liner, false eye lashes, a touch of blusher and bright red lipstick to match the top.

"Okay, Rose." Mia's voice was breathy as she caught up to us. "You have a lot of things to do."

"If it's to kiss anyone else, you can forget it."

"Nope, that's done. But what you can do as soon as we get inside is to wink at a guy and lick your lips. And you can blow kisses to a stranger. In fact, do that one right now. There are a couple of hotties across the street."

I rolled my eyes, but still turned to see who she was talking about.

"Mia! They're just a couple of kids kid!"

"So?" She grinned. "I'm kidding. They looks like they're eighteen, at least."

My expression clearly showed I didn't believe her. "It's almost 1 am Rose. They wouldn't be out this late if they hadn't been in a club. And to get into a club you have to be eighteen. You look hot and the one on the right has been watching you the whole time you were walking up the road. Make his day and blow him a kiss."

"This feels so wrong." I cringed as I caught the eye of the guy Mia had pointed out and blew him a kiss. "I feel dirty and perverted for doing that. Can we go inside before he gets any ideas?"

Mia laughed. "Too late. You should have seen the way his face brightened up when you did that!"

I groaned as Lissa laughed. "I think you'll like the next one. It'll get your mind off of your toy boy outside. 'Drink three shots in a row'."

Mia poked me in the side. "And once we get you drunk enough, we'll get to some of the more risqué dares."

Despite myself, laughter bubbled out of my mouth. "So long as it doesn't involve young men or being groped, I'm in."

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

"Hey."

Long, blonde hair was all I had time to register before someone was seated on my lap.

Christian chuckled and shot me the thumbs up from across our table as the young woman turned to face me and grinned.

"I've been watching you all night," Her voice was slurred, and I automatically leant back as she ran a finger down my chest. "why are you all alone when you're _hot_?"

"I'm here with my friends. On my _stag night_." My words didn't seem to register in her mind, nor did the fact that I was trying to get her to stand up.

"Do you wanna dance?"

The alcohol Christian and the guys had been supplying me with all night was starting to take effect, but I wasn't drunk enough that I missed the gleam in her eye.

"No thank you." My answer was polite enough, but she pouted and tugged on my arm.

"Come on. I have two other friends who really want to meet you." She leant in close to whisper in my ear. "They said they'll even get naked if you come over. Your fiancée doesn't have to know."

My jaw dropped as I pushed her back a little harder, so that she got the hint.

Did young women nowadays really view themselves like that? Were they really so eager to jump into bed with a man they didn't know? I was in my mid-thirties, and she looked like she was barely legal. Did she not notice or did she not care?

My disgust must have shown across my features because she suddenly glared and stuck her middle finger up at me.

"You could have just said no, asshole." Then she shrugged. "It's your loss. You're missing out on a damn good time."

"You look appalled," Eddie chuckled and handed me yet another drink. I didn't recognise the brand, but then again, I didn't drink very often, and certainly not in clubs or bars. "She tried to hit on you?"

I nodded and repressed the urge to throw up. "She looked like she was half my age. And if that wasn't bad enough, the fact that I said I was getting married didn't seem to bother her at all."

"Get used to it. You're going to get propositioned a lot more before the night's over, mate."

* * *

><p>I'd never been big on dancing in clubs. I preferred sitting and talking, and letting others dance around. My height was probably the main reason why I chose not to dance. Compared to everyone else, I felt gangly and out of place, and my discomfort showed through.<p>

But that didn't seem to stop Ambrose, Christian, Eddie and Mason from pulling me onto the dance floor with them, and surprisingly, I didn't stop them. And I didn't feel embarrassed either when a group of girls joined our little circle.

That definitely had something to do with the alcohol.

"Who's the lucky boy?"

They had to shout to be heard over the music, but Christian pointed to me anyway.

"Look at his chest. Wanna kiss him?" He waggled his eyebrows at them suggestively, and I had to laugh as they moved closer to stare at the now smudged scrawl.

"I definitely would, but I have morals. I wouldn't want someone to do that to me if it was my fiancé. We'll dance with you though."

The red head who'd spoken beckoned to the other three girls she was out with, and they moved to stand on either side of me.

"Turn this way, Hun, and put your hands on my waist."

I did as she said, laughing when she did the same to the girl in front, and the girl behind me placed her hands on mine.

The four girls moved in closer and then started shimmying their hips. "What are we doing?" The girl behind me was trying to get me to move my hips as well, but my coordination was off.

"Just relax."

I tried to do as she said, and found it was a little easier to follow their movements.

"Now really let loose and dance!"

Laughter bubbled out of my chest as they simultaneously threw their hands into the air and continued shimmying their hips.

"Hey, Belikov!" Christian's shout caught my attention and I turned my head to find Eddie pointing the video camera in my direction.

I grinned, at the same time as the four girls turned me to face the guys, and pulled down on my shoulders so I crouched a little.

"Smile for the camera!"

The girls leant in and kissed my cheeks right as I grinned and the camera flashed.

* * *

><p>"Okay, get a girl to write her number on your body where no one can see it." Ambrose smirked and held out a marker pen towards me as Mason and the rest of the guys laughed.<p>

I grinned internally as I took it from his hand.

"Anywhere, so long as no one else can see it?" My words were a little slurred, and the room span when they nodded and I stood up. My eyelids felt heavy, and I blinked rapidly to wake myself up.

"Excuse me," I tapped Meredith, one of the girls I'd been dancing with before, on the shoulder. She turned, and the rest of the girls cheered when they realised I'd re-joined them. "Hey, ladies."

Carly, Natalie and Jill waved as they continued dancing.

"You come back for more dancing tips?"

"Not this time," The laughter came freely, and I basked in the happy fog that surrounded my mind, courtesy of the alcohol once again.

"I need to complete this Stag Party list that Christian made. And one of the things is to have a girl write her phone number on your body where no one can see it. I was hoping one of you would do the honours."

"Sure." Meredith grabbed the pen and looked me over. "Most of you is on show, unless you want to drop the leggings and your boxers so we can write on your bum."

The rest of the girl's eyes lit up.

"Good idea, I'd like to see if he's as toned and large _down there_ as he is above the waistband."

My jaw dropped and they giggled. "I was thinking of my foot."

Meredith laughed lightly. "Ignore them. They've been single for too long, and it doesn't help matters when you're topless and look like you've stepped from the pages of a magazine. When you don't take into account the ridiculous attire your friends made you wear."

"Thank you, I think."

She patted my back and grinned as we headed to one of the tables in the corner so she could sit down.

"You're welcome, and it's the truth. Your fiancée is a very lucky woman. Both because of your looks, and because you seem like a genuinely decent guy." She smiled as we reached the table and I pulled off one of my shoes and socks. "Most other men would have used tonight as an excuse to go out and get do whatever they wanted with whoever they wanted. Whenever another woman approaches you with sinful intentions you get this wistful look in your eye and start rabbiting on about 'your Roza'."

"Have I really?"

Meredith laughed as she straightened up and handed me the pen. "There. Done. And to answer your question, yes. You've drunk quite a bit, more than I thought a guy could handle, so no wonder you don't remember some of those conversations. It was quite funny to watch, those women obviously aren't used to being turned down."

I grinned as I pulled my shoe back on and we made our way back to her group of friends. "I'm just surprised most of them are so forward and pushy. Even if I wasn't engaged I wouldn't want to 'get with' any of them."

She laughed and patted my back once again. "You're a good guy, Dimitri. Make sure you tell your fiancée I said that. Oh," She paused and rifled through her clutch bag before stuffing something into my left hand. "Don't tell your friends, but here's another thing you can cross off of that list. Carly wanted to help you out since you were reluctant to do the body shot."

I glanced down in confusion, and then felt my cheeks flush bright red as I realised what she'd placed into my hands. A small, lacy white bra.

"Calm down," Meredith laughed at my expression. "Carly always carries spare underwear in her bag in case she ends up staying over at someone's house afterwards. You can throw that away, or, you can take it back to your friends and laugh at Christian's expression when you hand it to him and tell him to cross 'getting a girl to take off her bra' off the list. It'll be our secret."

She winked and I chuckled before waving goodbye to the rest of the girls and heading back to the guys.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

I giggled as another eagerly guy took the pen from Mia's hand and began to write his number on an empty space on my arm. I'd surpassed her and Lissa's expectations. They'd expected me to freak out at their dare to collect three men's phone numbers, and had been even more surprised when I stumbled back with my arms covered and even a few numbers written on my legs.

"You owe me a drink. I got more numbers than you expected, and I didn't even make a fuss about the dare." I swayed a little on my feet, and Lissa guided me towards one of the bar stools.

"You need a drink of _water_."

"No," I pouted and tried to stand up again. "I want, I want-" I paused. "I don't know what I want. But I don't want water. No way, Hosé." Mia giggled as I glanced at her blearily. "What else is on that list? I already danced with a bald guy, that was funny. He was so short and energetic. I couldn't keep up!"

"I think Lissa's right. We don't want to return you to your fiancé all hung over and cranky."

"No!" My hand slammed down onto the bar. "I want to do more dares." She hesitated, and tears welled up in my eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm ruining the whole night."

"No you're not, Rose." I shook off her arm as the bartender placed a tall glass in front of me. "Just drink this water and sober up a little, and then you can do some more dares."

"You promise?"

She smiled at me as I took a small sip, and pulled the folded up list from inside her pocket. "I promise, see. I have it here and ready for y-"

"Thanks!" I snatched the list out of her hand and hopped down from the bar stool before she could react. "Catch me if you can." And then I was gone, hidden from view by the other people on the dance floor.

* * *

><p>"Rose? Rose?" Lissa's concerned voice sounded through the toilet door as I hiccupped and wiped at my eyes.<p>

"Is she in there? Rose, open the door." Mia tapped on the outside as I burst into tears again.

"What's wrong, Rose?"

I shook my head and grabbed more tissue as my body shook.

"She's drunk."

"Has she been sick?"

"I don't think so. When I saw her it looked like some guy was trying to hit on her. He got a bit… _grabby_ and by the time I'd dealt with him she'd locked herself in here and started crying."

"Rose?" Mia's voice was softer this time. "Honey, it's not your fault. Just come out and we'll take you back to the hotel, okay?"

"No," My voice was wobbly and clogged with tears. "I want Dimitri. I'm sick of guys looking at me like that and hitting on me. I just want my fiancé and my kids." A fresh batch of tears ran down my cheeks as I wailed, and then Mia's face appeared under the door.

"Look, I'm on this disgusting floor. Come out so we can sort this out, otherwise I'll climb right through and unlock the door myself."

"O-Okay."

She nodded and I unlocked the door and stepped out as Lissa pulled me into her arms.

"I know you're upset because of that creep." Mia was wiping at my cheeks as Lissa rubbed my back. "Dimitri's on his Stag Night right now, so he can't come and get you. Why don't we go back to the hotel, and get some sleep, and ten tomorrow you'll feel better and we can go home and get you to Dimitri. Okay?"

I nodded as Mia patted my back and took my hand. "You did good, kiddo."

* * *

><p>"Rose. Wake up."<p>

Giggles sounded in the air around me as I groaned and curled up into a ball. "Go 'way. I'm dreaming."

More giggles.

"About a certain Russian whose name begins with 'D'?"

"Mmmmm, Dimitri, Dimitri… Mmmmmm." I shot up in bed as Mia began to moan. "Yeah," She smirked at my expression. "Have nice dreams last night?"

I glared and flopped back down into the covers. "I hate you. So much."

"No you don't." Lissa climbed onto the bed and curled up next to me. "You love us. And because you love us, you're going to go and get in that shower and sort yourself out so we can hurry up and get to our showing. It starts at eleven."

I peeked at her through one eye. "What do you mean 'showing'?"

She grinned. "Get dressed while we pack and you'll find out."

* * *

><p>"Guys, is the blindfold really necessary?"<p>

One of them slapped my hands away, as the other guided me forwards.

"Yes," Mia spoke from somewhere on my left. "Because we don't want you to see what we've got planned until it actually starts. It'll ruin the surprise."

I was lead down what seemed to be a long corridor or hallway, with lots of peoples voices murmuring around me, until we reached what sounded like a large room. The floor was carpeted underneath my feet, and the seat I was guided to was soft and comfortable.

"Where _are_ we?"

Lissa was the one who spoke up. "Just wait a few more minutes."

A cold bottle was placed into my right hand, as something papery was placed into my left one. I frowned a little as I turned it over, and then the murmurs around us dimmed and the blind fold was pulled from my face.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" The announcement was in a high pitched, giggly, woman's voice, and as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I realised that we're in a theatre. We're up on the balcony, right in the middle, which means we have a great view of the stage.

"What are we d-" My jaw dropped as I glanced down at the programme in my hands and the title makes me want to squeal with excitement. _Legally Blonde: The Musical._ "You guys are the best!" My grin widened, and I barely had time to make myself comfortable before the curtain rose and the music started.

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

"Time to get the last part of your to-do list done." Mason patted me on the back as Christian pulled it out of his pocket.

The room span as Ambrose pushed another bottle into my hand.

The four of them studied the list intently. "You've drunk a pint in one." I hadn't been allowed to see what was on there, but with every drink I had, my worries about the content eased a little more.

"Kiss a barmaid!"

"It also says to kiss a woman older than your mother."

"She looks older than his mother."

They all laughed, but it seemed like the serving girl they were talking about heard because she slapped Eddie for his comment.

"Pig."

Her expression was offended as she stalked to the opposite end of the bar, but once Ambrose followed and began to sweet talk her she came back again.

"My name's Tatiana and I'm only doing this because your friend is a hottie and asked me nicely."

I chuckled as Ambrose made a face behind her back, and then frowned. "Doing what?"

She leant in a little and I leant back. Up close, it was easy to see the crow's feet around her eyes and laughter lines at the edges of her mouth. Her auburn hair was tinged with grey at the roots, another give away to her age.

"I'm not so sure-"

With surprising strength and speed her arms shot out, her hands digging into my shoulders as she pulled me out of my seat and towards her as our mouths crushed together.

Her lips began to move underneath mine fiercely, and my hands flew to her shoulders, pushing her away as I turned my face. That had felt so wrong, so dirty, kissing someone other than Roza.

My stomach rolled as her name continued to run through my head.

I felt like I'd cheated on her.

I felt sick.

I was going to be sick.

My stomach rolled again as my eyes scanned the room wildly before finding their prize as I began to stagger to the toilets.

"Are you okay?" Mason's arm wrapped around my body as I stumbled and almost hit the floor.

"I'm gonna-"

My stomach clenched and he seemed to understand because our pace picked up, and then I was on my knees, thanking God that I'd reached the toilet in time.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

I waved goodbye to Lissa and Mia before opening the door. Lissa was anxious to get home to Christian since he hadn't been answering any of her calls this morning. Dimitri hadn't answered mine, but I figured he was probably caught up in one of his books and hadn't even registered the sound of the phone ringing.

I entered the house cautiously, half-expecting Dimitri to run out and kiss me hello.

Instead I was met with silence, and the stale smell of… _beer_?

I turned around from where I'd been waving, and gaped at the sight in front of me. Beer cans were scattered throughout the hallway, while Christian was sprawled out on the stairs, with the bin from the front room beside his head.

A groan echoed from the kitchen, and I followed the sound to find plastic cups tipped over across the countertops, along with what appeared to be several half-finished bags of crisps and snacks. A man I'd never seen before was slumped at the small breakfast table in the corner, his head resting in his hands as he groaned a little more.

He had sandy blond hair, and a slightly muscular build, but that didn't help me to guess who he was. I frowned and studied him as I pulled out my phone to text Lissa so she'd come over to get her husband once Mia had dropped her off.

I sighed as I shook my head and walked out of the kitchen, intent upon finding my fiancé.

* * *

><p>Mason was upstairs in the bathroom, with a mop and bucket resting against the side of the bath while he scrubbed at the sink. He obviously hadn't heard me arrive home because he yelped in surprise when I spoke up.<p>

"What on Earth happened to my house?"

My eyes widened as I took in the tattered shower curtain and he grimaced.

"I think you should go and ask Christian that question."

"I would, except for the fact that he's passed out at the bottom of the stairs."

Mason's grimace deepened. "Then I'd go talk to Dimitri. I think he's still asleep in your bedroom."

"Still asleep? It's three thirty in the afternoon, Mason!"

"I know." He looked a little threatened and I took a deep breath. He was trying to clean up my house, so it wasn't fair to take out my frustrations on him. "You can yell at me, I didn't drink last night so I should have kept them under control."

I shook my head. "He's a grown man, Mason, he can make his own decisions and deal with the consequences."

Mason chuckled. "I know, but still… go easy on him, Rose. It wasn't his entire fault."

"Oh, I'll go easy on him." Mason relaxed and I grinned darkly. "Right after I finish kicking his ass."

I stomped down the hall and into the bedroom, so that he knew what was coming and then slammed the door open as I stalked inside.

"Oh."

My anger evaporated as I took in the scene before me.

The blankets had clearly been kicked off while he was asleep, revealing Dimitri curled up on my side of the bed, in the Winnie the Pooh top and shorts Sophia had bought for his birthday so long ago. I walked up to the side of the bed and my heart melted a little as I saw he had his face buried into the top of my pillow while he hugged the bottom end to his chest. I frowned as I noticed it was a different colour to the other pillowcase, and then realised that it was wrapped up in one of the tops I wore when I lazed around the house.

"Dimitri?" My voice was soft as I sat down on the edge of the bed and shook his shoulders gently. He looked so innocent, his features peaceful and childlike with strands of hair across his face as he snored slightly. I brushed the hair out of his face and his eyelids flickered before he groaned, one of his hands lifting to cradle the side of his head.

"Roza?"

I laughed lightly before lying down on the edge of the bed and turning to face him as he grimaced. "How do you feel? Bad?"

He nodded, and then groaned as he clutched his head tighter.

"Wild night last night?" I kept my voice soft despite the strong urge to yell and rip the curtains open. For now, I'd be sweet and help him to nurse what I was sure was a bitch of a hangover. Tomorrow, however, was a different story.

"Do you feel up to having something to eat?" He seemed to think about it and then nodded, but before I could move his arm snaked around my waist and pulled me in tightly against his chest.

"First I want to lie with you." His voice was a sleepy mumble as his fingers rubbed soft circles into my back and his breathing deepened. "I missed you last night, Roza."

My arms wrapped around his neck as I pulled my body closer to his. "I missed you, too."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>So, not quite the Stag DoHen Night's they were expecting. Bit of good and bad mixed in there, much like you'd expect. **Make sure you check out the Stag do/Hen night album on fb. The pics for this chapter are great! xD**

**My Stag Party – To Do List:**

Drink a pint in one.

Kiss a barmaid.

Have a girl write her phone number on your body where no one can see it.

Kiss a woman older than your mother.

Dance with two women at once.

Persuade a girl to let you do a bodyshot with her.

Get a girl to take off her bra.

**Hen Night: "Dare To Do It Checklist."**

Dance with a bald guy.

Kiss the first guy who speaks to you.

Serenade someone.

Blow kisses to a stranger.

Dance on a table.

Collect 3 men's phone numbers.

Drink 3 shots in a row.

Wink at a guy and lick your lips.

Remove your bra without leaving the room.

Collect a pair of men's boxers.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven.**

Hey guys. I have a **playlist** for you for this chapter. It really sets the mood, so I suggest you listen to it before you read, or during! The link is on my profile.

Also, I really recommend that you check out the **pictures** for this chapter, especially to see what Rose looked like. The album is on facebook, but is public, so you can see it regardless of whether you've added my fanfic fb account or not. The link is on my profile.

**x2xJOJOx2x** - Thank you! :)

**PrincessRedfern and deliciouse - thank you for pointing out my mistake! Hopefully it's all fixed now. :)**

Huge thanks to** Abbymickey24 and busymommy** for the wedding dress description help! It wouldn't sound anywhere near as good without you both!

* * *

><p>"<em>And she's so beautiful, with this… long brown hair and the most beautiful eyes. She's just…"<em> On screen, Dimitri hiccupped and slurred before blinking rapidly and focusing back on the young woman who was stood next to him_. "…Roza. That sums her up. And I'm getting married to her." _

Beside me, Dimitri's cheeks flamed bright red as laughter rumbled around the room. It was our rehearsal dinner, and Christian had decided that instead of giving a stand-in speech since Paul and the rest of the Belikov's weren't there, he was going to show us all snippets of the footage from Dimitri's Stag Do.

Christian grinned evilly, as did Eddie and Ambrose – who I'd been introduced to once Dimitri had woken up properly – while Mason grimaced and shot him a sympathetic glance.

"_I love my Roza, and my kids are so..."_ Another foolish, wannabe-model girl had tried to talk to Dimitri, and I grinned as he didn't even bat an eyelid. Instead, he launched into another spiel about how excited he was for our wedding day.

I grinned as the girl tried to back away, but a clearly drunk Dimitri caught her arm and pulled her back, rambling more about the five of us. "_And we're getting married! Are you married?_" He finally stopped talking and looked her expectantly; disappointment falling across his features as she practically ran away.

"_Another one didn't share your enthusiasm?"_ Christian's voice sounded from behind the camera as Dimitri shook his head slowly.

"_No, they just don't seem to understand."_

The image of the scene flashed and then changed to a different section of the tape as I fiddled with the hem of my dress. Dimitri was wearing a suit, and I was wearing the dress he'd bought for me on Valentine's Day – the blue velvet one.

Someone else was filming, because Christian and Dimitri were sat at the bar, looking like they were deep in conversation.

"_So you're sure that Rose is the one for you?"_

Dimitri looked sober-ish in this section and nodded fiercely. _"Yup."_

"_And you're sure you're not mentally unstable, thinking that she's the right one for you?"_

On-screen, Dimitri scowled, but laughter echoed around the room, making me glare a hole into the side of Christian's head.

"Remind me to punch him later."

Dimitri chuckled and kissed the top of my head as we continued to watch.

"_How did you know Lissa was the right one for you?"_

Christian paused and Dimitri leant forwards. _"Exactly. Christian, I know Roza is 'The One'. I just… I can't explain it. It's this sense of overwhelming… _love_. I mean, we've been together for almost four years, but-"_ He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which had fallen loose. _"I just love her so much. And I want to tie my life to hers, in every way I can. I want to be with her through everything, and to support her with anything she needs me for, and even those things she doesn't need me for. Roza and the kids, they're my life. I can't imagine them _not_ being a part of my life."_

Tears welled up in my eyes as I squeezed Dimitri's hand. "I can't imagine you not being a part of my life either." My voice was soft, but he heard and smiled, his thumb tracing small circles on the back of my hand.

The video cut to a different scene, and my jaw dropped. This time Dimitri was _dancing_ with a group of four girls. Well, to be more accurate, they were grinding on him, while he wore the _biggest_ grin on his face and sang along to the music.

His grip tightened in mine, but I rubbed his hand softly. "I'm not upset."

He looked down at me in surprise. "You're not?"

"Nope," I shook my head. "It was your Stag Do, and you were half naked. And unlike most men, you look damn sexy when you're half naked. And when you're fully naked." I added with a cheeky grin. "Of course women were going to be throwing themselves at you. You put up with the fact that my pole dance teacher groped me constantly, so I can deal with a little jealousy."

He continued to stare at me, and then cupped my face in his hands. "You are amazing. I'm not embarrassed anymore about the fact that I kept talking about you and the kids. I love you."

I smiled and pushed up onto my tiptoes so my lips could meet his. "I love you too." Then I pulled back and poked at his chest. "But I better be the _only_ one who gets to see you naked."

He grinned and his hand slipped down to discretely rest across the top of my bottom. "So long as in the future, I'm the only one, who gets to-"

My mouth crushed to his, effectively cutting off his words as I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly before pulling back again. "You are. And if I ever see that creep Jesse, I'll make sure to punch him like you taught me to." I kissed his chin. "You're the only one that I want, and the only one that I will ever want. One more week, and I'm finally yours, truly and completely."

* * *

><p>"I don't want you to go." We were stood in the hallway by the front door, well, Dimitri was stood. I was in his arms, my legs wrapped around his waist and my arms around his neck as he held me up in the air and kissed me softly.<p>

"I have to go, Roza. I'll see you in fourteen hours."

"No," My voice was a mumble as I pressed kisses to his chin, his forehead, the bridge of his nose, anywhere that I could reach. "I'm not ready. Just stay for another hour."

He chuckled against my lips. "It's almost midnight. It's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.

I growled and rested my head against his shoulder. Who the hell came up with that stupid rule anyway?"

His face rested in my hair before he spoke. "I don't know, and I wish they hadn't. But,"

"I know, I know," I sighed and let my lips graze his cheek. "You have to go. In less than five minutes." I sniffled. "We haven't even got time for a quickie."

He laughed properly then. "You sound more upset about that than you do about me leaving."

"You being gone for that long is a tragedy." I tightened my hold around his neck. "What if we promised to not look at each other until you left to get ready? I'd even let them blindfold me!"

"I don't think I'm very welcome here right now. Lissa and Mia look like they're ganging up with the rest of my family." He chuckled. "That's a fight that we definitely won't win, Roza."

"I could take them." My voice was a mumble as I pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

"Of that, I have no doubt, though when it comes to Yeva…" His voice trailed off and I laughed.

"Okay, I admit that I probably couldn't take on your grandmother. B-"

"Have you two finished smooching and saying goodbye yet?" Mia's voice was sharp as I sighed and Dimitri pressed his lips to my forehead.

"I'm almost gone, Mia."

My fingers fisted into Dimitri's hair as he kissed me softly, and then more urgently as I loosened my legs so he could set me on my feet.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." My cheeks were flushed as he pulled back and stared down into my eyes.

"Tonight is the last night we ever have to spend apart. Tomorrow, we'll be Mr and Mrs. Belikov, and our kids will be Belikov's. Our happy ending is close, Roza."

I smiled and pushed up onto my tiptoes as he leant down. "Are you sure that you're not having second thoughts? No cold feet? You don't want to take Christian's advice and call it off so that you can 'get back out there since so many women are interested in you'?"

"None whatsoever. Roza," He cupped my face in his palms and forced me to meet his gaze. "I'm not going to run off. Don't let Christian's bad jokes get to you. I will be there at the altar, in my suit, waiting for you to join me. Even if you freak out and run around town for hours before snapping out of it and getting in the car we booked to take you to the church, I'll be there."

"I'm not going to run off. No re-runs of that night at the Ritz." My laughter was shaky, but he grinned.

"Good. Otherwise I'll send Yeva after you." He chuckled at my horror struck expression before picking up his overnight bag. "I think Christian's getting sick of waiting, and Paul, Tom and Orel have probably fallen asleep by now. I _will_ see you at the altar tomorrow, Roza. I love you."

Our lips met once again, softly and slowly teasing as we savoured the moment and held each other close before we parted.

"I love you, too. Don't let Christian get you drunk again."

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Definitely not. I don't want to sleep through the wedding. That would be even worse than running off."

I giggled. "If you're not there I'm going to send Yeva after _you_."

He grimaced, and then grinned. "Deal."

I sighed sadly as he opened the front door and shouted a goodbye to the rest of his family. "See you tomorrow. And don't let Tom throw a strop about having to wear a suit."

Dimitri grinned. "He won't. We already talked it through and he agreed to behave because it's our special day." His grin widened. "Good luck dealing with my family tonight and tomorrow. This is the moment my mother's been waiting for."

"To see her baby boy get married?"

"To see any of us finally get married. After Sonya and Karolina's relationships didn't exactly work out, I think she'd given up hope. She's over the moon about the fact that we met and are actually taking the plunge. I think she wants this wedding to go ahead more than we do."

"Well, we better not let her down then." I brushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes before I gave him a soft push. "I don't want Mia to go crazy and cut anything off of you that we might need for the honeymoon. I'll see you tomorrow."

He smiled and kissed me once more. "I'll see you at the altar." A car horn beeped several times as he rolled his eyes. "I think that's Christian letting me know that my time is up. Bye, Roza."

"Bye."

He stepped out of the door, closing it quietly behind him as I wrapped my arms around my chest, hugging myself tightly.

_It's just one night, Rose. He's not going to listen to Christian. One night. You can do that. You're strong! You're-_

"Roza?" Dimitri was stood back in the doorway, concern pulling at his features despite the fact that he had his eyes squeezed shut. He stretched one hand out tentatively, before he moved to stand in front of me. His strong fingers wrapped around my hands as he pulled me into his arms. "I know what you're thinking, and I want you to stop it, right now. I will be there tomorrow. I'm not going to leave you stranded at the altar, and if Christian even thinks about suggesting it, I will beat him up for you. But under his clothes so the wedding photos don't look bad."

A slightly hysterical giggle built on my lips as I leant into his chest. "How do you always do that?"

He chuckled and ran his hands through my hair. "I know _you_, Roza. And as much as I hate to bring him up, I also know how much your past with Adrian has made you frightened for the future in little moments like this. So I want to set your nerves at rest." He tilted my face up so he could stare into my eyes, if they'd been open. "I. Love. You. And I love our kids, and tomorrow, we'll be married and nothing else will matter. We'll win the court case, Adrian will get locked up, and we'll all be able to move on completely."

I smiled and kissed his cheek softly, my nerves easing with his words. "That sounds good. And I can't wait."

He smiled, and kissed me one last time before he turned around with his arms outstretched again, and left.

* * *

><p>"So, Roza, how are you feeling?"<p>

"Nervous?"

"Excited?"

Eight pairs of eyes were trained on my face as they waited for my answer. Dimitri, Paul, Orel and Tom were staying at a Mason's flat along with Christian and Abe while my mum, Mia, Lissa, Olena, Yeva, Karolina, Sonya and Viktoria helped me to 'prepare'. Alyssa and Katrina had tried to stay awake, but had fallen asleep a little while before Dimitri had left, and Zoya and Sophia had tired themselves out earlier in the day, and conked out as soon as they'd showered and gotten into their pyjamas.

"I'm feeling… good. A little nervous, but I think that's to be expected. I'm still a little shocked. I can't believe that it's actually happening, that Dimitri and I are really going to get married tomorrow."

Olena's eyes brimmed with tears, while Yeva just laughed and rolled her eyes at her actions.

"And you're really going to give the kids the Belikov name?"

I nodded at her question. "He's been more of a dad to them in these past four years that their father ever was at any point in their lives. They're his in every sense of the word."

Olena sniffled again as Karolina patted her on the back and Sonya handed her a tissue. "Calm down, mama. You're supposed to sob tomorrow, not tonight."

"Now, Roza." Viktoria pulled out a small carry case from beside the sofa, as Mia and Lissa both took hold of my hands. "We're going to give you some basic treatments tonight and do your nails and waxing and everything else so that all you have to worry about tomorrow are the finer details."

Mia began to pull items out of the bag as Lissa took over. "All you need to do is sit back and relax. Well, before you can do that, you need to go and get in the shower again so we can wash your hair and put in a conditioning treatment. We want that mane looking as thick and glossy as we can get it."

* * *

><p>I sighed as Lissa, Mia and the Belikov's finally felt that I'd been primped and preened enough to head to bed.<p>

It was three o'clock in the morning, and after making me leave on the conditioning treatment and a face mask for half an hour they'd then waxed _everywhere_ despite my protests and loud screams of pain. My hair had been rinsed and curled up into huge rollers by Olena and my mum while Viktoria and Sonya manicured my hands and Lissa and Mia gave me a pedicure. And Yeva had sat there, cackling every time I complained or yelped in pain.

"It's all worth it, Rose. Just think of what Dimitri's face will be like when he sees you walking up the aisle towards him and looking like a goddess."

I mock glared at Lissa. "He better." Then I grinned. "Thank you, all of you. I guess I'll see you in the morning."

A chorus of good nights followed me as my mother and Olena bustled me out of the front room and up the stairs. "You need a good night's sleep, dear."

"Relax, and before you know it, you'll be back in Dimitri's arms."

I paused, and then hugged them both. "Thank you for being here. It really does mean a lot to both of us that you're here."

Tears sparkled in my mum's eyes as she kissed my cheek before hurrying back down the stairs.

I giggled with Olena. "She doesn't like people around when her emotions get the better of her."

She grinned. "Lissa told me. Apparently there's a bet going on about whether or not she'll cry during the ceremony."

"Who on Earth would organise a bet like th-" I cut myself off and groaned as Olena just looked at me knowingly. "My dad organised the bet, didn't he?"

She laughed lightly before kissing my cheek and heading back down the stairs. "You didn't hear it from me. I have no idea what you're talking about."

* * *

><p>"Lissa!" Mia's voice echoed from outside the locked bathroom door as I paced inside. "She's freaking out again."<p>

"What?" The door thumped as someone pounded on the outside. "Rosemarie Hathaway, you open this door _right now_! You are not going to freak out and ruin your own wedding day."

"Open up!"

The door thumped again as I turned to stare into the mirror. My cheeks were flushed and my chest heaved as I dragged in big breaths of air in an attempt to calm my racing nerves.

"Now, Rose!"

They banged again before falling silent, and then Olena's calm voice echoed through the wood. "Roza? I know you're nervous-"

I barked out a laugh and moved closer. "Nervous? I'm not nervous! I'm terrified, Olena-"

My voice cracked as the door swung open, revealing my mother crouched down with a screwdriver in one hand, and the outside door handle in the other.

Both she and Olena pulled me out and dragged me into mine and Dimitri's bedroom before locking the door and forcing me to sit down on the bed.

"There is _no _need for these sorts of nerves, Rose. You need to snap out of it right now. You can get jittery if he's not at the church, and if that happens your father and I will hunt him down." My mother's voice was business-like and straight to the point as Olena nodded and bustled around, gathering up various bits and pieces.

"If that boy isn't there I'll hunt him down myself. I've waited too long for one of my kids to finally get married, and if he takes this away from himself, and me, I'll beat him so hard he won't able to sit down for a month."

My eyes widened at Olena's threat, as she laughed at my expression. "Sorry, Roza. I know that it's your big day. But God help me, if that boy is late or puts even a toe out of line-"

My mum grinned as she tugged on my arm. "Go and get showered, young lady. We will call and check up on the guys to set your fears at rest, and I don't want to hear anymore moaning from you. We have three and a half hours before we have to leave." When I stayed sitting and just stared at her in shock she clapped her hands sharply. "Now, Rose! Move it!"

* * *

><p>I breathed in deeply as Viktoria made the finishing touches to my hair, and then helped me to unwrap the towels and shirts that had been placed over my shoulders to keep my dress clean from any hairs or make up that fell while I was getting ready.<p>

"I'm going to go and wait downstairs with the others. Take a good look in the mirror, make sure you're happy with what you see, and then come downstairs so we can see you properly."

She grinned and pulled off the towel that had covered up the full length mirror Mia had loaned to me before heading out of the door and shutting it behind her quietly.

_Okay Rose. It's time to see what you look like._

_Deep breath in, deep breath out. In through the nose and out through the mouth. _

_Don't cry at your reflection if you look good, and don't cry if you look bad, because Lissa and Mia will kill you for ruining your make up. On second thoughts, don't run your hands through your hair in distress either, because if you do Viktoria will kill you for ruining her 'masterpiece.' Just keep calm, and take one step after another, just like you will up the aisle. And keep breathing!_

My legs trembled and I stumbled in my heels as I made my way over to the mirror stood in front of the door. My eyes slammed shut before I caught sight of myself, and I gave myself another mental pep talk.

_I can do this. I can do this. I can-_

"Oh."

I looked… beautiful. The conditioning treatment had worked wonders with my long, dark hair, making it look even thicker and healthier than it usually did. I didn't know how to explain how Vika had styled my hair. It was a sleek, classy up do that didn't detract any attention from my face or dress, yet added to the overall look.

Small, diamond crosses hung from each of my ears – an early wedding present from Eric and Rhea - and were all I wore in the form of jewellery, apart from my engagement ring. My make-up was neutral, with Mia and Lissa deciding to emphasise my eyes, and to coat my lips in a reddish brown shade of lipstick. My skin was smooth and practically hair free thanks to the waxing session I'd been forced through the night before, and my dress flowed over my curves gracefully.

_My dress_… it was _very_ similar to the one that I'd bought before. Made entirely of ivory lace that flared into a slight mermaid style with train at the bottom over a matching satin underskirt, the vintage gown fitted like a dream. The capped sleeves showed off the toned strength in my arms, while the high collar and delicate fabric lent an almost innocent air to the deep décolletage. The sheath silhouette accentuated the slight swell of my hips, then flared out to drape gracefully around my feet, before ending in a demi-train that covered up my feet.

I had bought a pair of white, peep toe, sling back shoes, made out of satin, with a stiletto heel. They were high enough that Mia and Lissa were satisfied, but low and comfortable enough that I could walk around in them all night. Small, white material rosebuds were dotted down the heel strap and around the outside edge of the shoe to finish just over my big toe..

"Roza, we're all waiting!"

Viktoria's impatient tone echoed up the stairs as I took a deep breath before leaving the safety of my bedroom.

"Oh, Rose."

Tears were already streaking down both Olena and my mum's cheeks as I rounded the corner and entered the front room, to find my dad standing there with eleven chattering women stood around him. A proud grin worked its way onto his lips as he motioned for me to spin in a slow circle, and my mum's voice wobbled as she spoke.

"You look beautiful."

* * *

><p>We were at Holy Cross, and everything was set.<p>

Lissa and Mia were dressed and ready. Their dresses had fitted them perfectly, and their hair had been pulled back off of their faces with a slight side fringe. They were both happily tottering around in their stupidly high heels. Alyssa and Katrina kept giggling to each other as they ran between my room and the one Dimitri was in in. Olena had cried a lot, and eventually Karolina had banned her from seeing either me or Dimitri anymore. All of Belikov's were dressed in bright colours, and Paul looked even more like Dimitri when he came in with his suit on. Sophia and Tom had carefully held the rings as they wished me good luck before Lissa and Mia led them away to quickly see Dimitri.

And they were all currently in their places, waiting for me to walk up the aisle.

"Okay, kizim. You ready?" I nodded, despite the nerves that churned my stomach, and looped my left arm through my dad's right one.

But he dropped my arm and moved to stand in front of me, cupping my face with his hands. "I'm so proud of you, kiz. And despite everything I say, I like Dimitri too. He's a good guy, and he's a good father to your kids. I might not be the best judge of that after the way things went when you told your mother and I that you were pregnant the first time, and I know that we haven't been the best parents to you either. But I want you to know, and to believe, that you are a good parent. I want you to understand that that man loves you and those kids more than I could ever expect."

"Thanks baba."

Tears filled my eyes as I sniffled and worry filled his features.

"No! Don't cry! Lissa will kill me if you have 'panda eyes' or whatever she called them!"

A strangled laugh left my lips as he kissed my forehead, and then lead me out of the dressing room and down the corridor, towards Dimitri and the rest of our guests.

"Calm down, kiz. I can feel the tension in your body." He patted my hand gently as we walked to stand by the doors that lead into the church and my nerves spiked. "Belikov will be standing there, because if he isn't…" Pachelbel's canon in D began, and we walked round the corner to begin making our way up the aisle. "I'll kill him."

My step faltered for a moment at my dad's words, and then my nails dug into his arm. "Don't say things like that."

_Heart beats fast  
>Colors and promises<br>How to be brave  
>How can I love when I'm afraid to fall<br>But watching you stand alone  
>All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow<br>One step closer_

"Breathe, kiz." My dad's voice was barely audible as we started walking up the aisle.

_One step, Rose. And another. And another._

"I am, I just- What if he- I'm scared, baba."

"You'll be fine. _Look_."

And I did.

Tears filled my eyes as Dimitri came into my view and my heart swelled up with love. I wanted to be in his arms. I wanted to be his. I wanted to be his everything, including his wife.

Dimitri was stood at the front of the church, his back straight and a radiant smile on his lips as he watched us approach. His hair was combed and pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His large frame was dressed in a fitted navy blue pinstripe suit and his shoes were polished and shiny. A royal purple tie was knotted right up next to his collar, and he had a deep cherry red flower pinned to his left lapel. A white handkerchief poked out of the top suit jacket pocket, completing his look.

My gaze slowly travelled up and over his form, until I met his eyes, and something unintelligible left my lips as our guests laughed.

A rushing sound filled my ears as I flushed, and all I wanted was to freeze that moment so I could gaze at Dimitri until I couldn't see any longer.

"Kiz," My dad tugged on my arm discretely. "You're slowing down. You can ogle later, let's just get you up there first."

* * *

><p><em>Time stands still<br>Beauty in all she is  
>I will be brave<br>I will not let anything take away  
>What's standing in front of me<br>Every breath  
>Every hour has come to this<br>One step closer  
><em>

**Dimitri POV.**

"It's not too late to back out. If we leave now we can be halfway down the motorway before anybody realises."

I gritted my teeth and fought back the urge to hit Christian. I knew that he and the other guys only said those sorts of things as a joke, but the constant reminders of how easy it would be to walk away only increased my worries that Rose would actually be freaked out enough to do it.

I think Mason picked up on my annoyance because he patted my back sympathetically. "She's not going to run off, Dimitri. Trust in her, and that trust will be rewarded." Then he thumped Christian in the chest. "Let's go and get the girls before you frighten the poor guy anymore."

I gave him a weak smile, and glanced across at my mother. She was in the front row, dabbing at her wet cheeks with a tissue. From what I'd heard, she'd cried almost non-stop yesterday and this morning when they were getting Roza ready, and then when she'd seen me in my suit she'd burst into tears again. Still, that didn't stop her from giving me a watery smile, one that relaxed the butterflies in my stomach and the tense muscles in my neck and shoulders.

Janine wasn't showing many outward emotions, but every so often her eyes grew red and she'd sniffle when she thought nobody was looking. And Abe was strutting around like he owned the place. He hadn't threatened me like I'd expected him to last night, instead he'd been overly nice, and that put me on edge more than if he'd done the 'protective father' speech.

Paul grinned at me from my side and patted my arm. "Aunt Roza looks really nice."

"Does she look scared?"

He thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah. But she also looks excited. I doubt she'd have come all this way and gotten dressed up just to leave you stranded at the altar."

I laughed slightly as he set my fears at ease and then tensed up again as the organs at the back of the church began to play.

Tom and Sophia appeared, carefully holding the two small jewellery boxes that held mine and Roza's wedding rings. Alyssa and Katrina appeared afterwards, scattering a mixture of confetti and flower petals they'd insisted upon, and after they had started making their way up the aisle, Mia and Mason appeared, arm in arm as Lissa and Christian followed them.

Once they were all in their places at the altar the music changed into the wedding march we'd chosen, and my hands shook. The soft murmurs from our guests stopped as they stood and turned, ready to catch their first glimpse of the bride.

"_Wow_."

All other thoughts left my mind as Rose came into my line of sight.

Her cheeks were flushed, her face glowing and her eyes bright as Abe escorted her up the aisle towards me. My hands and legs trembled, wanting to simply run until I had her wrapped up in my arms tightly and my mouth on hers. I couldn't stop my lips from curving up into a grin as her eyes scanned over my body and then darted up to my face with disbelief and happiness covering her features.

"He actually turned up."

"Of course I did, Roza. Now hurry and get up here so I can marry you."

She blushed as our guests laughed at what slipped out of her mouth, but I grinned even more widely as she suddenly picked up the pace she was walking at. Once she reached my side and Abe had placed her hands in mine, I couldn't stop myself from leaning forwards and kissing her cheek gently.

"You look amazing." My gaze met hers as I pulled back, and I carefully wiped away a tear that began to slip down her cheek. "I love you."

Roza intertwined her fingers with mine as she smiled up at me. "I love you, too, so much." Then she giggled. "Let's do this thing."

* * *

><p><strong>Lissa POV.<strong>

The church was decorated stunningly, the kids looked adorable and Dimitri was ready and waiting. All of our bouquets were as we'd ordered, and our clothes and shoes were a perfect fit.

I'd never seen Rose so scared before though, and it saddened me that so much had happened to her during her relationship with Adrian that she was reacting to something so amazing with so much hesitancy.

But so far, nothing had gone wrong, and so long as there were no glitches in the security, then nothing would go wrong. I'd spoken to Abe about my worries concerning Adrian, and he'd shared them. He and my dad had, however, set my fears at rest when they revealed that they were going to ensure nothing went wrong today. Rose and Dimitri deserved the perfect wedding, and that was what they were going to get.

I hadn't seen any signs of what they'd planned, but I didn't put it past Abe to have security guards or something more deadly hidden all around the place, ready to spring into action if Adrian or anyone else who posed a threat tried to show up.

Once Rose was ready and it was almost four o'clock, I took my place at the entrance of the Church with Christian, Mia, Mason and the kids. The organ music began, and that was our cue to start walking up the aisle.

* * *

><p>Rose was nervous. Terrified out of her mind. She looked incredibly beautiful, stunning even, but her worry and tension overrode that.<p>

Until she saw Dimitri, that is.

Shock became the prominent emotion on her face as her eyes scanned up the aisle and met his. "He actually turned up."

She flushed as the entire church burst into laughter and she realised that she'd spoken out loud.

Opposite me, Dimitri chuckled, his eyes shining with humour and adoration. "Of course I did, Roza. Now hurry and get up here so I can marry you."

Despite being married for ten years myself, every time I saw them interact, I was filled with romantic hope. They showed that persistence and faithfulness in each other really did pay off, and they set a great example to their children.

A beautiful smile filled my best friend's face as a tear slipped down her cheek. Abe nodded respectfully at Dimitri, as the wedding march started once more and the guests all stood up. Another tear trickled down Rose's cheek, and Abe wiped it away with a comfortingly fatherly gesture.

"Let's go, kiz." Happiness shone in his eyes as he escorted his daughter up the aisle so she could marry the man of her dreams.

* * *

><p>The ceremony passed quickly and thankfully, uneventfully. The reading's they'd chosen were beautiful, and Rose sniffled a little when the priest began to recite the Corinthians passage during the gospel. Olena burst into full sobs when it came to the statement of intentions.<p>

And then came their vows.

"Roza. I love you, and there are no words that can express just how much I love you and our kids. I, Dimitri Paul Belikov, take you, Rosemarie Hathaway, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. I accept Alyssa Marie, Tom Adrian, Sophia Abrianna and Katrina Rachel Ivashkov as our children and a part of our family, and promise to love and care for them as my own until the day I die."

I grinned and met Christian's eyes, remembering our wedding day as Rose's voice trembled and she finally spoke the vows she'd been practicing non-stop.

"Dimitri. To me, you're Alyssum. Worth beyond beauty. And… I'm like Camellia. My destiny is in your hands. You're my Chamomile. You give me energy in adversity. And just like Cosmos, you bring me joy in love and life. I, Rosemarie Hathaway, take you, Dimitri Paul Belikov, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

I dropped Christian's gaze and glanced out at the congregation, nudging Mia discretely when I noticed Janine, her head buried in Abe's chest as her shoulders shook and he rubbed her back.

Mia grinned, and then we turned back to Rose and Dimitri who were staring into each other's eyes as they took their wedding rings from Tom and Sophia and followed the priest's instructions so they could exchange them.

Happy tears fell from my eyes as the ceremony was finished and Dimitri carefully pulled Rose into his arms before lowering his mouth to hers. Her arms snaked up and around his neck and his wrapped around her waist, and all their guests burst into cheers and applause as their kiss deepened and Dimitri lifted her into the air.

"I love you."

Their voices couldn't be heard over all the claps and happy sobs from the congregation, but pure happiness shone out from Dimitri's features as Rose cupped his cheek in her hand, and I could only guess that hers was exactly the same.

They kissed once more, and then turned to face their guests, allowing everyone to take pictures of them as a newly married couple before I handed Rose her bouquet and they lead the procession out of the church.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

I couldn't get rid of the smile that had dominated my face since I joined Dimitri at the altar, or the happy tears that filled my eyes, and I didn't want to.

"I love you." My lips met Dimitri's for the millionth time as we waited for our arrival to be announced so we could enter the hall. "I can't believe we're actually married." I sniffled and held my left hand up in the air so I could stare at my wedding ring. "I'm Mrs. Belikov."

Dimitri chuckled and linked his fingers through mine as he tilted my face up, his chocolate brown eyes boring into my own.

"I love you, too. I'm yours, forever."

"And I'm yours, too. We're a proper family."

I sighed and rested my head against his chest as his arms tightened around my waist.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mia's voice echoed from behind the closed doors of the reception hall. "The newly married, Mr and Mrs Dimtiri Belikov!"

* * *

><p><strong>Make sure to check out the playlist, and the photo album!<strong>


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight. **

***hands out tissues* I'm sorry for making so many of you cry with the last chapter!**

**X2xJOJOx2x – I'm very glad. Thanks for reading!**

**LMNinja – I'm sorry! But I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

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**Jbowencox – I'm sorry, here ya go!**

**I'm so sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out to you guys. Writer's block, exams and other writing commitments that had deadlines to meet stopped me from finishing this long ago. But here it finally is.**

**If you haven't done so yet, check out my story 'After the Fall'. It's an entry in Mandy's RxD Banner Bunnies competition. Make sure to check it out, and to check out ****all the other great entries and now that the polls have opened vote for your favourites! h t t p :/ mandy52799 (dot) blogspot (dot) co (dot) uk/ 2012/ 05/ banner-bunny-voting_21 (dot) h t m l **

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**This is the reception/honeymoon chapter, so lots of fluff, and then a nice healthy dose of smut. ;) Thank you very much Maria, Hannah and Christina for the butt kickings you gave whenever I was ready to scream in frustration and scrap the lemons because they weren't coming out the way I wanted them to.**

**Huge thanks to CrazySue05 for pre-reading!**

* * *

><p><em>You've been on my mind<br>I grow fonder every day,  
>lose myself in time just thinking of your face<br>God only knows why it's taking me so long  
>to let my doubts go<br>You're the only one that I want_

"So?" Dimitri's voice was light and carefree as he spun me out before pulling me back in to his chest. It was our first dance, and Adele's One and Only was playing in the background as we swayed to the music. "How do you feel… _Mrs_ Belikov?"

I giggled and pulled my hand from his so I could twine my arms around his neck as he lowered his hands to rest on my hips. "It feels amazing."

My lips met his gently before I pulled back and rested my cheek against his chest. "Today's been amazing. I don't want it to end."

"Are you sure? Has it really been okay?"

_You never know if you never try to forget your past  
>And simply be mine<em>

_I dare you to let me be your, your one and only_  
><em>Promise I'm worth it, to hold in your arms<em>  
><em>So come on and give me the chance<em>

_To prove I am the one who can  
><em>

I grinned and tilted my head back so I could meet his gaze. "It's been more than okay. It's been wonderful. I'd been half expecting Adrian to burst in with a gun and to shoot half of the congregation, so to have today run smoothly, with no bumps or problems, it's much more than I expected or dared to dream of. I'm your wife, and you're now the father of the kids, not only in our eyes, but also in the eyes of the law." My hand slipped from around his neck so I could cup his cheek. "It's been perfect, and the perfect beginning to our life together."

Dimitri smiled as he leant down to brush his lips against mine. "I like the sound of that. Our life together as a proper family."

_Have I been on your mind?  
>You hang on every word I say, <em>

_Lose yourself in time at the mention of my name, _

_Will I ever know how it feels to hold you close  
>And have you tell me which ever road I chose you'll go<br>_

"And speaking of families…" My voice trailed off as my stomach churned uncomfortably. "Are- are you still okay with the surrogacy?"

He chuckled and kissed my cheek before he pulled me even closer to his chest so that he could rest his chin on the crown of my head. "No regrets, Roza. I think that it's a great and very selfless thing for you to do. However," He pulled back and tilted my face up so I had to meet his gaze. "I don't want you to do anything you're not comfortable with. I will support you one hundred percent if you decide to go through with it. If you decide that you can't, then I'll stand by you with that decision, and Lissa and Christian will understand."

"What if-" I swallowed. "What if I want to do it, but I can't. What if I want to wait for another year or two? Everything just seems to be piling up and I'm not sure at the moment whether or not we're in the right position to go through with it. I mean-"

"Roza," Dimitri pressed a finger to my lips to stop my babbling. "Calm down. If you're having second thoughts about being a surrogate, I understand and Lissa and Christian will too. If you want to wait a while longer, I'm sure that they won't have a problem with it. In two weeks, we have the final court hearing. I seriously doubt that Adrian's lawyer will have found something else to keep the trial delayed, so he'll be sentenced and all of our stress will be gone. I know that you're worried about the outcome of the trial, and you were nervous about the wedding. Well, we're married, and the trial is almost over. Once that last obstacle is gone, you'll be able to think clearly, with no worries at the back of your mind and you'll know for sure what you want to do."

"I hope that you're right this time."

He chuckled. "I thought you hated it when I'm right?"

I smirked into his chest. "I do, but in this case, I can let it slide."

_I dare you to let me be your, your one and only  
>I promise I'm worth it to hold in your arms<br>So come on and give me the chance_

_To prove I'm the one who can_  
><em>Walk that mile until the end starts<em>  
><em>Come and give me the chance<em>  
><em>To prove that I'm the one who can<em>  
><em>Walk that mile until the end starts<em>

* * *

><p>"Okay, all you single spinsters," I grimaced and smacked at Dimitri's chest when he chuckled at Christian's words. "Get ready to catch our beautiful bride's bouquet."<p>

Mia rolled her eyes as Lissa poked her in the side, and grudgingly moved to stand in the centre of the dance floor, as I joined Christian in the centre of the stage. I hadn't wanted to lose my bouquet, so had had a smaller, duplicate made specifically to be thrown.

Viktoria was stood in the crowd, giggling as Karolina and Sonya attempted to subtly push each other. Dimitri was glaring at Ambrose, who'd been alternating between eying up Viktoria and one of my cousins throughout the church service and the rest of the evening.

I turned around and Christian grinned. "Okay, ladies, are you ready?" Cheers and excited squeals erupted from behind my back as I took a deep breath, clutched the bouquet tightly in my hands, and then threw it backwards before spinning to see who caught it.

I giggled as the room fell silent, waiting to see who was victorious in catching my bouquet.

Everyone moved, so that I could see the bouquet in her arms and I laughed, breaking the silence at the exact same time as Mia's disgusted voice echoed around the room.

"Oh fuck no."

* * *

><p>Mia and Lissa had pushed me into a padded chair, and I giggled as I lifted my dress up to just above my knees. Dimitri knelt down, and then gazed up at me through his eyelashes, a wicked grin on his lips as his hands rested on either side of my legs.<p>

A snicker burst free from my lips as he winked and pushed my dress a little higher so he could see the tossing garter on my right leg, and then I snorted when I heard Tom's appalled whisper to my dad.

"Babam onun iç çamaşırı görmek için anne etek kadar Bakmak var! O bunu yapamaz!"

He'd been pleased as punch when he'd found out the Abe spoke Turkish, and refused to speak to him in English. The kids knew Turkish, but I didn't use it often, and Tom was relishing the fact that there was someone else who he could talk to who understood what he was saying.

"What did he say?" Dimitri's brow crinkled as Abe laughed at Tom's remark too.

"He thinks it's bad that you're peeking up my skirt to see my underwear."

Dimitri's eyes widened, and then he chuckled as he lowered his lips to dot soft kisses up my thigh, tracing a path to the garter before he took hold of it between his teeth and began to tug it down.

Behind him, Abe began to do part of his 'duties', ushering all of the single men at the reception into the free space behind Dimitri's back so that he could throw my tossing garter to them, the same way I'd thrown my bouquet to the women.

I squeaked as Dimitri nipped at my leg, the sound covering up his chuckles as everyone's attention focused on us once again.

The feel of his lips on my skin was heavenly, the way he carefully caressed my legs riling me up while everybody remained oblivious.

"Dimitri," The blush on my cheeks grew as he chuckled and nipped at my leg again, before tugging the garter over my knee and down my shin.

"This is just to give you a little forewarning for tonight, for what I'm going to do to you with my-"

"Shhhh." My cheeks flamed bright red as I glanced around in case anyone had heard him, while he slipped my shoe off so he could remove the garter properly.

Then he chuckled, stood, and threw it directly towards Mason who cowered under Mia's horrified glare when he caught it. A cheer went up through the crowd, though whether it was for us, as Dimitri pulled me to my feet and kissed me, or for Mason and Mia, I didn't know.

Christian laughed into the microphone as Mia shook her head adamantly at something Lissa was saying to her.

"You know what tradition dictates about the garter toss and bouquet throw?"

I shook my head as Dimitri chuckled and kissed my forehead.

"The dude has to put the garter on the leg of the chick that caught the bouquet." I snorted at the glare Mia sent towards Mason as he walked towards her, following Christian's 'hip' instructions, his face as red as his hair. His hands were visibly shaking as he slipped it over Mia's foot and up her leg before she slapped his hands away, scowling even more at Christian's next words.

"Those that catch either item are said to be the next to marry. In some instances, it is said that they will marry each other. And since these two are already dating – well, keep a space in your diaries ladies and gents. They'll be getting hitched soon, no doubt!"

* * *

><p>I giggled as Dimitri lifted me up into his arms, and then unlocked the door to our room. "You, Mrs. Belikov…" His voice trailed off as my arms snaked around his shoulders and his lips nipped at my neck. "Are absolutely amazing and I love you so much."<p>

My voice was a soft sigh as he carried me over the threshold and my lips ghosted across his cheek to his mouth. "I love you too, so much that I think my heart would burst. Today still feels like a dream, the best one I've ever had, and I'm afraid to wake up in case it actually is."

He chuckled against my lips. "This is definitely _not_ a dream, Roza."

My breath caught as he gently placed me on the bed, and then my fingers curled around his collar when he tried to pull away.

"And where do you think you're going?"

"To run a bath," His lips kissed a trail up my neck to my ear. "For us."

"Sounds good," My mouth curved into a wicked grin. "But first, let me help you undress."

My hands pulled and wrenched at his clothes eagerly, the buttons from his shirt popping everywhere as I tugged impatiently and then crushed my mouth to his.

"Roza," Dimitri's chest heaved as we broke the kiss and I continued to tug at his clothes. "Roza, wait. Let's take things sl-"

"Fuck taking things slow." My lips pressed against his once more, "Wait." Surprise flitted across his features as I pushed him back. "I brought something along that Lissa and Mia threatened me with before. I think you'll like it, but first…" I stared at Dimitri sternly and then pointed at the bathroom door. "I know I'm contradicting myself but get in there and get naked. Run the bath, and by the time it's done – and _no_ peeking – I'll be ready."

I winked, and Dimitri practically fell over his feet as he rushed to the bathroom.

I giggled, and as soon as the door clicked shut behind him and the taps started to run, I was on my feet and rifling through our bags.

"Where are you, little white, lacy dress?"

I grinned triumphantly as my fingers grazed against a piece of lacy material. Lissa and Mia had teased and bullied me relentlessly over the honeymoon, asking whether or not Dimitri would 'get lucky', or whether I'd just whip out a pair of my 'huge, grey granny pants'. They'd been shocked when I'd prompted a trip to Ann Summers, but I bet they hadn't expected, or realised that I was going to 'borrow' one of the ridiculous outfits they'd suggested I wear on my hen night. It was exactly as I remembered it - all sheer, white lace and netting with a tiny underskirt-turned-mini dress type thing underneath.

I struggled out of my wedding dress, cursing the designer for not adding in buttons or a zip, and then untied and pulled off the corsety-type thing I'd been forced to wear, letting out a soft sigh of relief when my lungs were able to expand fully. My tights disappeared next – to make it easier and quicker for Dimitri – and then I slipped my garter back on. I enjoyed taking in a few deep breaths, and then pulled the lingerie on, being careful not to rip it before I added the fingerless gloves, and then, once I'd removed the pins and brushed my hair out, added the final touch - a lacy wedding veil and a slick of bright red lipstick.

The sound of running water suddenly shut off, and I hurried to pull out the 'make up' bag I'd packed, before I tucked our bags and clothes away neatly. Once they were hidden from sight, I jumped onto the bed, giggling when I bounced a few times.

The door handle rattled, Dimitri letting me know that he was coming out, and I wiped the grin off of my face as I tried to position myself sexily, with one finger crooked towards him.

"Hey, Comrade,"

Dimitri chuckled as he stepped into the bedroom and caught my eye, until he got a good look at my body. His eyes widened as he swallowed heavily, and then he dropped the towel that had been around his waist.

Looks like we were both excited for what the other had in store.

Memories of the first time we'd stayed at The Ritz flitted through my mind as Dimitri drew closer, before our eyes met and I had to fight the urge to melt into the bed sheets as I bit back a moan. Pure lust and unbridled love filled his eyes as he laid down beside me and pulled my body into his arms, his fingers tracing soft circles across my hip as I did the same to his chest.

We didn't speak for a moment, and I took the time to study him, the way I had the first time we were together. He was so tall, and yet incredibly graceful. He wasn't beefy or bulked up like the hulk, but had a nice muscle tone and strength that he used to protect the ones he loved. His broad chest was muscled and well defined, with a light sprinkling of chestnut coloured hair that tapered in to an enticing happy trail. He had slim hips, and long, muscled legs. Everything about him was just… _big_. Powerful. Manly. His face was classically beautiful. A strong jaw and nose, high cheekbones, firm yet soft lips and dark, piercing eyes.

"I love you." My voice was gentle as I tilted my head back to meet his gaze, and Dimitri smiled softly before he lowered his lips to mine.

"I love you too."

My hand trailed up and over his shoulder, my fingers twining into the ends of his hair as I pulled his face to mine. His lips were soft and gentle as they moved against my own, teasing and nipping at my lower lip when his arms tightened around my waist, drawing me into his chest before his fingers slipped under the hem of the lingerie.

"Though I love this outfit on you, Roza, I like it better when there's nothing between us."

His fingers lightly trailed over my skin while he removed the dress from my body, his loving touches drawing whimpers from my throat as he smiled and then leant down to kiss me hungrily.

"You're so beautiful, Roza. And you're my wife. God, I'm the luckiest man in the world." Dimitri's whispers against my neck made me shiver and curl even closer to his body as our eyes met.

"Husband and wife, like we were meant to be. And no one can ruin this for us." One of his large hands wrapped around my thigh, lifting it until it was wrapped around his waist, opening me up for him as I kissed across his chest. "Everything is finally falling into place."

"Let's hope it stays that way." Dimitri's voice was a soft murmur as he tilted my face up so that he could kiss me properly.

A smile crept onto my lips as Dimitri moved to lie between my legs, his erection pressed up against my stomach as one of his hands slipped down to hold my waist and my hands trailed down his back to grip at his hips.

I knew exactly what he was going to do, he was going to make our lovemaking tender and sweet, and to focus solely on ensuring that I had the best sex of my life.

But as good as that sounded, that wasn't what I wanted. This was our honeymoon, and so, it was going to be good – no, better than good. As pleasurable as possible for the both of us. And I knew exactly how to start things off, so that Dimitri would understand that to have the best time myself, he also had to have a good time.

I grinned at the slight confusion on Dimitri's features as I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist and rolled us over so I could be on top, and then his grin matched mine as I slowly lowered myself onto his hard length.

A soft pant left my lips as Dimitri moaned, and we both stilled, enjoying the sensation of being joined after almost two weeks of nothing more than heated kisses because of the last minute wedding preparations.

"Now, we can take it sl- _oh_." My fingers dug into Dimitri's shoulders as he grasped my hips and began to rock me against him. "Di- _oh_." My breath caught as he slid his hands up from my hips to cup my breasts, teasing at my hardened nipples with his fingers, urging me to take the lead.

Pants escaped from between my lips as Dimitri stroked at my sensitive flesh, making me cry out as my hands pressed into his chest and I rocked my body against his, lifting myself up and slamming back down as he thrust his hips up to meet mine.

"_Roza_," his voice was practically a growl and I whimpered as he left my chest alone, his hands moving to my hips so he could move my body more urgently against his.

My nails left imprints into his skin as Dimitri suddenly sat up so our chests were touching, his hands gripping my waist as he increased the pace and I crushed my lips to his eagerly.

There was an element of tenderness, of love, as our bodies moved together, sweat beading across our flushed skin, but there was also possessiveness in the way we gripped at each other. We were married and had made that commitment in front of our friends and family to stay together and belong to each other for the rest of our lives, but it was like we needed to prove that to ourselves, that we were each other's and nothing would be able to stop that.

"Roza. You- you-"

"Di-" My voice was cut off as Dimitri groaned in frustration and rolled so I was pinned underneath him as he continued to drive into my body fiercely.

My legs wrapped around his waist even more tightly as my stomach tightened, and my hips began to thrust against his frantically.

"I'm close. I'm so cl-"

My voice choked off into an excited gasp as my stomach tightened, and my body exploded, my orgasm flooding through me in a heated wave that made me cry out as my body tingled.

Dimitri's body shook as he came inside of me a few seconds later, a low, guttural moan leaving his lips as he buried his face in the crook of my neck and continued to thrust into me gently as I panted, my fingers running through his damp hair.

My chest heaved as I sighed, and Dimitri's lips dotted soft kisses across my neck and jaw until he reached my lips.

"I love you, Roza."

I smiled and then giggled when he resumed dotting kisses, this time across my collarbone, a light moan echoing in my throat as my body shuddered under his touch.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>"Mmmmm, Roza…" I giggled as Dimitri raised himself up from where we'd been spooning on the sofa so he could rifle through the large 'make up' bag I'd brought and pull out something in a jar. "I remember this."<p>

"Of course you do-" I squealed as he dripped the cold liquid onto my bare stomach and then pushed him away when he tried to lean in and kiss me.

"Yep. From Halloween. How could I have forgotten after that night, when you had chocolate body paint smeared all over you…" My eyes rolled back into my head at his words and my body rubbed up against his willingly when he pulled me into his arms. "You tasted heavenly, then." His mouth slowly began to lower down my body, his teeth teasing and nipping at my flushed, sensitive skin and drawing soft whimpers from my throat. "Let's see if this one tastes as good."

My breath caught as Dimitri's lips closed around one of my nipples as his free hand skimmed down my waist and slipped in between my legs.

"Didn't I tell you what I was going to do to you, Roza?" Images of his grin during the garter toss ceremony flickered through my mind as my hips jerked off of the bed, pressing into his hand as I gasped and clutched at his shoulders, my nails digging into the smooth, tanned skin as he continued to tease me with the slow motion of his fingers.

"Don't stop. Don't stop." My voice was a chant as he chuckled and dipped his head so he could nip at my earlobe, and then stopped what he was doing. "No- Dimit-" My hands slid down to his wrist, trying to hold his hand in place.

"Roza, we have all weeke-"

"I don't want to wait all weekend! I want you now!"

His lips crashed against mine, and my hands wound into his hair, holding his face to my own as he shifted so that his chest was pressed against mine.

"I want to take you on the chair, Roza." Dimitri's voice was filled with lust, and excitement filled my chest. "Is that okay?"

I let my body answer his question as I climbed onto his lap and wrapped my arms and legs around him tightly, ready for him to stand up.

* * *

><p>"<em>Fuck<em>!"

When Dimitri said he was going to _take_ me, he meant it. I was knelt on the seat of the chair, gripping the back support as tightly as I could while his hands gripped my hips, moving me fiercely in time with his thrusts.

"Di-"

My hands flexed and tightened into the thick padding as Dimitri's hips moved even closer to my own and he stilled. "Is this okay, Roza? Am I hurting y-"

"No." My voice was a hard groan as I deliberately arched my back and rocked my hips against his. "You go in so deep from this angle, and- and- Just don't stop…"

My voice trailed off as Dimitri grunted and leant forwards so his chest was pressed against my back. His hands moved from my hips to grip beside mine, his face buried into my shoulder as his thrusts slowed and deepened, becoming more powerful as he drew me closer to my release.

"Roza, move against me. Ple-" My hips began to grind against Dimitri's as he panted and spurred me on, the pace of his thrusts increasing as the chair wobbled dangerously from our movements.

Dimitri felt so good inside of me when he was buried as deeply as he could be, and the way our bodies moved in sync always made my breath catch.

"You feel so- Roza-" Dimitri's voice was husky and I my back arched as he suddenly hissed and thrust into me sharply. "Are you close? I don't want to- to-"

"Almost, just-" I tilted my face to the side, one of my hands leaving the chair so I could reach back and twine my fingers into the hair at the nape of Dimitri's neck, carefully pulling his body even closer to mine as we both drew closer to our release. A soft moan slipped through my teeth as Dimitri's lips met mine, and then my hips bucked sharply and my stomach clenched as his hand trailed down my stomach and between my legs to tease at my clit, pushing my body even closer to the edge.

It was like we were consumed by each other as his tongue softly probed my mouth, eliciting soft groans as his fingers teased me relentlessly. His ministrations lifted my body higher and higher until I came, my walls convulsing hard around his throbbing erection, prompting his own release before I fell forwards, breathing harshly as our hips continued to move together in sync, helping each other to ride out our orgasms.

I sighed softly as Dimitri slipped out of me and pressed a gentle kiss to the nape of my neck, before lifting me up and carrying me back towards the bed.

"Thank you," My arms wrapped around his waist as he tucked us both under the covers and then kissed my lips softly.

"Thank you for letting me do that."

"I enjoyed it. You definitely need to show me some more of that wild side before we leave, Comrade." I grinned, and then sighed as my eyelids drooped and curled up even closer to Dimitri's side, an air of contentment wrapping around us both as he pulled me into his chest and ran his fingers through my hair. "I love you."

He chuckled and then flicked off the lamp. "We have _all_ weekend, Roza. I'll make sure you do. I love you, too."

"Dimitri?"

"Hmmmm?" His sleepy eyes met mine and I giggled, noting the way that a shiver ran through his body as I scraped my nails down his chest and over his abs. "Are you planning on keeping me locked up in this hotel suite all weekend?"

A wolfish grin popped across his features, and then he yawned. "We can go out if you'd like to, but first we need to sleep. You kept me up all night, Mrs. Belikov."

"I wouldn't have if you weren't so damn irresistible and sexy when naked, Mr. Belikov. If you don't like it then keep your pants on next time."

He snorted. "Don't go putting on lingerie that's just asking to be torn off next time, and I won't."

I winked and then buried my face in his chest. "Get some sleep. I've got _big_ plans for you later on."

* * *

><p>"Mmmm." I sighed and then rested my head back against Dimitri's chest. We'd finished our room service dinner and were curled up together in bed relaxing.<p>

"Have you eaten enough?"

I smiled and pressed a kiss to Dimitri's bare chest. "Yes. You don't need to worry so much." My eyes locked with his, softening at the emotions that were clear to see across his face. "I love you for it, but I want you to enjoy yourself and to put yourself first too. Everything is fine. It's better than fine."

"Good." His voice was soft as his lips trailed down my forehead and over the bridge of my nose so he could peck my lips.

"Do you think the kids are okay?"

He chuckled. "Roza, it's only been a day."

"I know, but-"

"They're fine. Mia's there, as are Lissa and Christian, your parents and my family. They're probably being spoilt rotten."

"How do you think Katrina feels?"

Dimitri paused, and then shifted, his fingers tilting my face up so that he could look straight into my eyes. "I think she's okay. She seemed happy enough, and like she was enjoying the attention at the wedding. Everyone's accepted her into our family without question, so I don't think she feels like an outsider in any way. Everyone refers to us as her parents and her as our daughter. Maybe we should talk to her when we get back?" He ran the backs of his fingers up and down my arm as he spoke, his brow furrowed as he spoke his thoughts aloud. "I'm pretty sure that if there was anything wrong we'd have heard about it by now, either from her or through the rest of the kids. Why, has she hinted at anything to you?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm just a little worried and emotional is all. I'm a mum; therefore, I worry obsessively when it comes down to the safety, health and wellbeing of my family. We're completely responsible for her now; legally she has no ties to Adrian or Camille." My gaze met his again. "I still can't believe we're a proper family now."

"You need to start believing it, Roza. We've been fighting for this for so long; we need to cherish it while we can." He chuckled, and then pressed his lips to my forehead as his hands lowered to rub soft patterns into the bare skin of my stomach and waist as my breath caught.

"Dimitri," I paused and bit my lip as his hands stopped moving and he waited for me to finish speaking. "I'm worried about the surrogacy."

"Why?" His forehead crinkled up in confusion as he glanced down into my eyes, his stare so intense that it felt as though he could see the words running around inside my brain.

"I-" My hand covered his on my stomach as I sighed. Why was it so hard to just spit out the words I needed to say? "I'm just really worried. What-" I scrubbed at my face.

"Just spit it out, Roza." Dimitri's fingers rubbed light circles into the soft skin of my stomach as he kissed my temple. "What's bugging you?"

"I'm thirty two years old. What if I'm too old? Or there's a complication? Or something happens to the baby? I'd die for Lissa, and she'd do the same for me, but what if something- what if that happened to the baby? This is such a big thing for all of us, but them especially, and you know, the older you are, the more risks that are involved with pregnancy. What if I can't even conceive in the first place?" Irrational tears filled my eyes as my voice cracked. "I promised to do this for her, but what if I can't go through with it, not because I don't want to but because I _can't_?"

Dimitri's arms tightened around my waist as I babbled on, my fears and concerns spilling out into the open. When I finally ran out of steam his hands cupped my face as he kissed me softly.

"I can't understand what you're feeling completely, because it's a fear that I'll never have to face. But you know that it's also not one that I'm going to let you face alone. You are the strongest, bravest, most beautiful woman I have ever met. What you are doing for Lissa and Christian is amazing, but it is risky. They know the risks, and they also understand that you may change your mind, and if you do, they can't complain or argue. If something happens – there's nothing any of us can do. It's something we can't control, and it could happen to anyone. We just have to hope for the best. It's highly unlikely that you won't get pregnant, and if you don't?" He shrugged. "Then we talk it through with Lissa and Christian. We can either try again, or they can decide to leave it, or they can ask Mia, or try another surrogate." His fingertips began to massage my skin soothingly again. "You're putting too much pressure on yourself, Roza. You're only human."

"But-"

"No." His voice was stern as his fingers covered my mouth. "Don't dwell on it. Not right now. When everything else is dealt with, then you can freak out and change your mind, and change it back again." His lips pressed against mine lightly, and I sighed, my body relaxing as he pulled me into his arms. "This time tomorrow we'll be home again and things will be back in full swing. Nothing will go wrong, and you'll make the right decision. Let's just enjoy what's left of our honeymoon while we can."

I giggled as his hands trailed down my body and he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"And how exactly do you propose we do that, Mr. Belikov?"

He chuckled and tightened his grasp. "I think you know _exactly_ how, Mrs. Belikov."

* * *

><p><strong>Don't forget to vote!<strong>

**I'm moving out of university tomorrow, so there is a chance that I won't be able to update in a week as I will potentially be without internet once I leave. I'll do my best to get things posted asap, but keep checking fb, I'll let you guys know what's happening there.**

**Translations: **

**Dad's peeking up mum's skirt to see her underwear! He can't do that! - ****Babam****onun iç çamaşırı****görmek için****anne****etek****kadar****Bakmak****var!****O****bunu yapamaz****!**

**Dad's peeking up mum's skirt - Baba****anne****etek****kadar****Bakmak****oluyor **

**To see her underwear - onun iç çamaşırı****görmek için **

**He can't do that! - ****o****yapamaz****! **


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with me and this story despite the huge spaces of time between updates lately. I'm doing my best to get things back on track. I'm hoping to get the next one out by next weekend. *crosses fingers and hopes***

**I would like to say special thanks to Secret-Haru and Dimkaisshmexy24 for your amazing reviews. They were amazing and really helped me get this chapter done. :)**

**Hugs and kisses to Lana, Hannah and Gabby for their pre-reading input.**

**IMPORTANT A.N: **I'm sad and a little surprised to also say that this fic is drawing to a close. I reckon that after this there's another three or four chapters, and it'll be done. :( I'm going to be doing a Q&A, so after the last chapter is posted, if you still have questions that haven't been answered, leave them in your final review or PM me or let me know on fb. A week or so later I will then upload a 'chapter' that will have the questions and their answers. So jot down any questions that pop into your head so you can send them to me if they aren't resolved by the time the fic ends!

**Look out for the The Incredibles quote. (I love that film). ^^**

**Since it's been so long since I last updated, a little refresher on what's happened. The court case is almost over and they're waiting to hear the verdict. Adrian's been released on bail too. RxD got married and had their rocking honeymoon ;)**

* * *

><p><strong>Adrian POV.<strong>

I glared down at the table top as I motioned for the bartender to refill my glass. Tonight had been bad. _Really bad._ Camille and I were supposed to have our happy ever after once the blonde brat was out of our lives. But things hadn't worked out that way.

I drained my glass and motioned for him to refill it with the golden liquid that flowed down my throat easily and took away all my troubles.

_Dimitri_ had come across the scene before I was done with Rose, and then what made it even worse was that they'd pressed charges. They'd pressed fucking _charges_ against me. And my shitty lawyer couldn't get them dropped. I was paying him shedloads because he was one of the best, but had it paid off? Of course not.

Nothing lately had been going my way. Camille and I were arguing on a daily basis. Daniel was getting into fights at school. The blonde brat was more than happy living with Rose, the big slut, who'd just gone and married that foreign fucker.

And now I was getting a headache.

_Perfect_.

I sighed and scrubbed at my face with my hands as I motioned for my glass to be refilled. My life was going to hell. Nothing was going to plan. I hadn't gotten laid in two months. And it was all _their_ faults.

It was time for me to go with my back up plan. Camille had thought I'd been joking when I said that I was going to deal with things so we could have our happy ending. Dimitri and Katrina needed to go. I wanted my life the way I wanted it to be, and Rose wasn't going to ruin it any longer.

I growled and drained my glass before slamming it back down onto the table top and storming out of the bar. Well, I stumbled. The alcohol had obviously had a much faster effect than I'd planned.

I was going to go home and sleep off my bad mood. And then tomorrow, once I'd sobered up and could aim straight, I would send Camille and Daniel off somewhere, and I would deal with Rose and the others.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

"Mum! Dad! You're back!"

If not for Dimitri's steadying hand on my back I'd have been knocked off my feet as the kids wrenched the door open and threw themselves at us.

"Did you have fun?"

"Did you get us anything?"

"Where did you go?"

"Can grandad Abe stay longer? He let us have pizza on Friday _and_ Saturday!"

"Oh, really?" I turned to face my dad just in time to catch him motioning for Sophia to stop talking. "Even though Dimitri and I made it clear that the kids were not allowed to have takeaway because they stuffed themselves at the wedding reception and there was plenty of left-over food for them to eat over the weekend?"

My mum laughed at the guilty expression on my dad's face. "I told you not to do it, Ibrahim. But _no_, you wanted to be 'the cool grandad'." She snorted. "Now you can face the consequences." I laughed and hugged my mum tightly as she turned her attention back to us. "Did you two have a good weekend?"

I grinned as Dimitri's lips pressed against my temple briefly. "We did."

He chuckled. "Thank you for babysitting, Janine."

"So long as you promise me you two aren't having anymore, then I can safely say that it was a pleasure and that I'd be more than happy to do it again sometime. But not soon. Maybe in a year. Or three. And definitely not if you have any more children." She lowered her voice so that the kids didn't overhear her. "I love them dearly, Rose, but their… _energy_ and enthusiasm reminded me why you were an only child. I can't handle looking after more than four grandchildren."

"Well, I think you and my mother will have to come to a compromise. She wants six grandkids." Dimitri grinned widely at the horror that covered my mother's face as I shook my head.

"Don't tease her like that, Comrade. Or you'll be spending the rest of our honeymoon sleeping on the sofa. And I am not having another two babies for us as well as Lissa and Christian's baby. Do you know how painful giving birth actually is?" My mum grinned at him triumphantly so I shook my head and left them to it. "Are Lissa and Christian still here?"

"We're in the front room." I laughed as Christian's head poked around the doorframe, a cheeky grin on his face as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "How was your weekend away? Did you go sightseeing and take lots of pictures?"

"Well, I saw a lot of sights, and we took a lot of pictures, but I don't think they're the type that I should share…"

Lissa giggled as Christian grimaced and sat back down on the sofa.

"So I take it you both had a good weekend?" I was surprised to find Mia and Mason curled up together on one of the chairs.

"It was really good. It would have been nicer to have a few more days, but we made the most of the time we did have, and I think that we'll appreciate the holiday next year even more." I grinned. "You two look rather cosy. Did you kiss and make up after your strop, Mia?" Mason laughed, as she glared at me and I grinned even wider. "So have you guys decided on a date? Or are you going to save up first?"

"We are _not_ getting married." Her elbow thrust backwards sharply and Mason groaned as she jabbed him in the chest. "And if you don't stop laughing like a damn hyena then we won't be in a relationship for much longer either."

Poor Mason looked stricken at Mia's threat while Christian burst out laughing. "She sounds just like you, Liss."

That earned him a sharp glare and Mason started to laugh. "Looks like Dimitri and I aren't the only ones who'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight."

* * *

><p>"Dimitri?"<p>

"Mmph?"

I giggled. "Are you awake?"

The house was silent and pitch black as I ran my fingertips over his bare chest before his large hands caught my wrists.

"We haven't consummated our marriage here yet," My lips ghosted over his neck. "The kids are asleep, as are Lissa and Christian, so no one will hear us-"

"No, Roza," he groaned tiredly as my teeth nipped at his collarbone.

"Yes, Dimitri."

He chuckled and shook his head. "You used me as your personal sex toy all weekend. I need to _sleep_ and recover."

"Just a quick-"

"No. No quickies or slow lovemaking or hard and fast fucking. Just sleep. I'm a man, not a machine." I giggled as he lifted his leg and draped it over mine, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me into his chest so that I couldn't move as his teeth grazed my earlobe. "And if you let me rest up, I'll definitely make it worth your while."

"Oh really?" My lips curved up into a grin as Dimitri chuckled softly.

"Yes, Roza. You remember some of the things we didn't get to try on our honeymoon?"

My breath caught and I nodded as one of his hands began to trail down my body, tracing light, swirling patterns across my flushed skin.

"By this time tomorrow you'll be able to tick them _all_ off of your to do list."

* * *

><p>"We want pizza for breakfast!"<p>

I glanced at Tom and Sophia sternly. "No pizza. You two knew that you weren't supposed to have junk food, but you still went ahead and asked your grandad for it anyway. So no junk food for an entire month."

"_What_?"

"But that's_ not fair,_ mum."

I turned and glared at Alyssa and Katrina. "I know you both had some too. You should have stopped your grandad. So no junk food. Next time you'll actually do as you're told." I eyeballed them all some more. "And no asking your dad to buy some so you can 'have a mouthful' too."

Dimitri nodded. "I don't want to sleep on the sofa, so you heard your mother. No junk food."

"Morning everyone." Christian stumbled into the kitchen, cutting me off as I took in his rumpled appearance.

"Where's Lissa?"

He yawned widely. "In the bathroom. Can I have pancakes?"

I had to laugh. He looked like a little kid with mussed up hair and sleepy eyes, despite the fact that he was a thirty two year old man. "Of course you can. And if you eat them all up I'll even let you have a glass of milk and biscuits afterwards."

His eyes narrowed and Dimitri chuckled at the teasing note to my voice.

"That's not _fair_! Why does Uncle Christian get what he wants for breakfast?"

My own eyes narrowed. "Thomas Adrian Belikov, if I hear one more complaint about pi-"

"Because Uncle Christian isn't asking for something he's not allowed to have. What do you want, besides pizza?" Dimitri's fingers rubbed soothing circles into my waist as he intervened.

"Toast please. And a boiled egg."

"Okay then. Do you want to do the eggs yourself this time?"

Excitement lit up Tom's eyes, and just like that, things were back to normal.

* * *

><p>"Okay, okay, I did promise Tom that we could play monopoly," At everyone's groans and sighs I laughed. "But, we will be playing in pairs made up of one adult and one child. So even if you don't do well, your partner may have done better and put you guys in a better spot. The winner – if you're a child - gets to be in control of the TV for the next three days. Your choices can be overruled if you want to watch something that we feel is unsuitable. For the adults, if you win, you get this bottle of cheap wine that was given to us as a wedding gift even though everyone knows that we don't like white wine."<p>

Lissa laughed. "You haven't changed at all. Okay, who's in each pair?"

Dimitri pulled the sheet out of his back pocket. "Lissa and Tom. Me and Sophia. Christian and Alyssa. Rose and Katrina. Is everyone happy with those pairings?"

"I'm not," I eyeballed Tom and Lissa who were grinning conspiratorially at each other. "Lissa's just as good at monopoly as Tom is. They'll crush the rest of us. I say that you switch him and Alyssa."

Lissa nodded. "Christian sucks at this game."

"Babe!"

She shrugged. "Just because I'm your wife it doesn't mean I'm going to lie. You do suck at this game." She kissed his cheek at his pouty expression. "But I love you anyway."

He frowned and then shifted away from Lissa. "I love you too, but saying it doesn't smooth things over when _I'm_ the one in trouble. No dice, Mrs. Ozera."

Lissa's eyes widened and turned beseeching as she curled up against his side and I laughed as Christian's stern expression wavered. "I'm sorry, baby. Really. Do you forgive me?"

"Is that what you think we'll be like ten years down the line?" I giggled as Dimitri's arms wrapped around my waist and his lips pressed against my temple.

"I hope so," My lips met his for a short moment, and then we separated so he could move next to Sophia as Katrina came and sat next to me.

* * *

><p><strong>APOV.<strong>

I grinned as I approached the road Rose had moved to and patted my pocket to make sure I still had everything I needed. It wouldn't do to have dropped anything essential on the way over here.

25… 23… 21… My smile widened as I drew closer to their house, counting down the numbers on the doors until I was stood two houses away.

Dimitri's car was parked in the driveway, but there was one car in front of their house that I didn't recognise and I grimaced. If they had guests over, that would scupper my plans.

I frowned as I wondered how to get rid of them. I could set off the car alarm, if they had one, but that would only draw unwanted attention to their house. And the guests might go back inside afterwards. I briefly contemplated just shooting the windows, but then dismissed the idea. That would bring the police round and that could turn into another court case.

Maybe I should just shoot them too? Then there'd be no witnesses to encourage Rose to try anything afterwards.

I grinned and started walking towards their house again, taking a couple more small sips of 'liquid courage' from the flask in my front pocket, when voices echoed out into the street. I froze, worry pitting in my stomach, but then people emerged from the house next door to them, a young looking woman who kissed the man stood in the doorway passionately before she ran down the steps and towards the car.

"Drive carefully, Sonya." She laughed and opened the door before turning back to him.

"I always do, Mikhail. I'll see you tomorrow." She got in and then poked her head out of the open window. "I love you!"

The man smiled and blew her a kiss. "I love you, too."

Their exchange made me smile slightly. That was how Camille and I used to be. I patted my pocket once again. That was how we _would_ be.

Once her car was out of sight and the man had shut the door, I took a deep breath, another large gulp of the burning liquid, and opened the gate to Rose's house.

Time to do a little pest control.

* * *

><p><strong>Rose POV.<strong>

"Tom's cheating!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Uncle Christian told me to do it!"

"Hey! I did no-"

"Christian!" Lissa's voice was scolding. "You aren't supposed to encourage him to sneak fifties from the banker."

"I only told him to ask for a loan. I'm almost in the red, baby. I'll have to sell the house to get out of it otherwise."

I snorted at his flimsy excuses while Lissa confiscated his money and handed it back to Dimitri who was supposed to be the banker.

"Focus, Comrade."

"I would if Sophia wasn't also trying to take a shortcut by sneaking notes from Alyssa's money pile."

"She did _what_? How much did you take?" Dimitri grimaced as Alyssa caught the end of his sentence and rounded on Sophia.

"I didn't take any!"

"Dad just said you did."

"I never!"

"Dad doesn't lie!"

Shrieks filled the room when Alyssa threw herself at Sophia's money pile, snatching up fistfuls of her notes as Sophia yanked at her hair to pull her away.

"Okay you three, break it up," Dimitri intervened as Katrina joined the fight, tugging on Sophia's arm as Alyssa yelled for Sophia to stop pulling her hair.

"She started it."

"Did n-"

_Bang_.

Everyone froze at the sudden noise, and then as someone thumped against the front door heavily once again.

"Rose!" The letterbox flapped and then his voice was much clearer. "We need to have a little talk."

"Christian," Dimitri's voice was a whisper. "Get everyone into the back garden now. "If you hide behind the blackberry bush, he won't be able to see you." His eyes met mine. "Crawl down the hallway so he can't see you through the glass. Now, Roza."

My gaze narrowed as Christian nodded and motioned for everyone to move. "Lissa, babe, you go first, then the kids, then Rose and I'll bring up the rear."

"Are you crazy?" The kids whimpered as Adrian banged on the door again. "I am not going and leaving you here to face that psycho!"

"Roza-"

"Don't 'Roza' me. Christian, get everyone else out." My gaze flickered to the window and then back to him. "If I go, you go. If you stay, I stay."

"I'm asking you to wait with the kids."

"And I'm telling you, not a chance. You're my husband, I'm with you - for better or worse." Part of me wanted to laugh at the fact that we were practically re-enacting one of the scenes from The Incredibles, and then I wanted to cry for thinking of something like that in such a serious moment.

"Remember our wedding day?"

I nodded in confusion. "Yes, but-"

"When we made our vows, I meant them. And I also meant the things that I didn't have to say in front of everyone. I swore to protect you, Rose. You're my wife; it's my duty to-"

"And you're my husband. I am _not_ leaving you. Not now, not ever."

He sighed and then changed tack. "Ok, I'm not asking you to leave. I'm asking you to go with the kids so that they feel safe. They're upset, Rose, they need one of us there. I'm not going to ask Christian to stay here and I'm not going to take a chance having you and Adrian in the same room. Right now, he's shouting for _you_, and I remember what happened the last time he got close to you. I promised that I would never let him hurt you again. So please, please, Roza, go and wait in the garden. I'll get rid of Adrian, and then I'll come and get you all. He's breaking the rules of his restraining order, so call the police while you're in the garden and they should get here and deal with him if he refuses to go."

"He'll hurt me by hurting you." Dimitri crawled over to me and cupped my face in his hands when my voice wavered.

"He won't, Roza. I won't let him. Just please, go out where it's safe." His lips brushed against mine softly as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"Do you promise?" I was asking the impossible, but he nodded anyway.

"I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." He chuckled lightly and then pressed his lips to mine again as my fingers tangled into his hair, pulling him closer before a large cracking sound echoed from the hallway.

"Is he trying to break the door down?"

Worry filled Dimitri's eyes as he pushed me towards the door. "Go. Christian," he paused and a grim expression settled over his features. "Look after them."

I paused in the doorway and motioned for Lissa to lead the kids out as I turned back to Dimitri, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I love you."

His eyes softened, and for a moment it looked like tears welled up in his eyes as well. "I love you, too, Roza. Now go."

I sniffled and nodded as he stood, determination settling over his features as he strode towards the door and we crawled down the hallway. I watched as he paused for a moment, and then stepped outside, pulling the backdoor shut behind me, locking my husband in with a monster.

* * *

><p>Soft sniffles and sobs echoed around the small space we were all crouched in as my eyes met Lissa's sombre ones.<p>

"Where are the police? They should be here by now?"

Sophia sniffled, burying her head further into Christian's chest as he stopped trying to soothe her and looked over at us. "They're coming, it just seems like it's taking a long time." His face softened as Sophia sniffled again and he rubbed her back soothingly. "You did the right thing, Rose."

I shook my head. "Then why does it feel so wrong? What if he's hurt? What if Adrian's done something? How do I know that he's ok? What if the police get there too late?"

I paused and glanced around, taking in Lissa's large, worried eyes, the kids tear stained cheeks and red noses, the way Christian's knee kept bobbling up and down despite his hand placed on his thigh, as though he had to physically stop himself from getting up and heading inside.

"It's too quiet." Tears sparkled in Lissa's eyes at my murmur.

"I'm sure he's fine, Rose. Dimitri's a big guy, and he's tough, I mean-" her lips wobbled and her eyes squeezed shut as Alyssa and Katrina pressed in against her sides more tightly, like they were all holding each other together.

"Mum," Tom's voice was a cracked whisper and my gaze snapped to meet his. "You need to go and help dad. He needs you so he can be brave and stop Adrian."

"Rose," Lissa's voice was horrified. "Please wait till the police get here. You can't go in there. Not with A-"

I shook my head. "Tom's right. Dimitri can't wait and I shouldn't have left him behind." My voice shook but I covered it up. "I'm going back inside. At least I'll know Dimitri's ok, and if he's not, well, I can help him distract Adrian until the police arrive."

I stood up, brushing my hands off on my jeans, and then ducked back down again, cautious of the fact that I didn't know where Adrian was. If he was in the kitchen, he wouldn't be able to see us behind the blackberry bush, but if I stood up I would give away our hiding place.

"None of you leave this spot until the police get here, or you hear Dimitri or me saying that it's safe to come out. Alyssa, Katrina-" My voice broke and I swallowed heavily. "Tom, Sophia, do as you're told, okay?" At their nods I smiled slightly, and then sniffled. "I love you."

* * *

><p>My heart pounded and my throat felt dry as I crawled down to the house, anxiously looking from window to window in case Adrian appeared. It was still quiet, and I paused as I reached the back door and stood, my hand resting on the handle as I pushed my body as close to the wall as possible.<p>

_Get a grip, Rose. _

My hand silently pushed the handle down, and then I paused again, holding the door open a crack while I waited. Nothing burst through the door towards me and I breathed out a silent sigh of relief.

_On the count of three. One, two, th-_

I forced myself to step through before I could chicken out, slipping into the hallway and silently pushing the door shut behind me as I dropped to my knees again.

_"Dimitri?"_

Voices echoed out from the front room, drowning out the sound of my frantic whisper and ice settled low in my stomach as I inched forwards on my hands and knees.

_At least he's still al- Shut up! Of course he's still alive! _

"Adrian, calm down, pl-"

"Shut up!"

I gasped at the sight that met my eyes when I poked my head around the doorframe. Dimitri was stood on the far side of the room facing me, his hands held up in a defensive motion/fashion, like he was trying to calm a wild animal, while Adrian was stood with his back to me, a few steps in front of Dimitri, with a gun in his hand that was pointed straight at Dimitri's chest.

I ducked my head back around the corner as I tried to come up with a plan.

The smartest thing to do would be to wait for the police to get here. But Adrian was agitated and I wasn't willing to chance Dimitri's life. Distracting him would only work if the gun was empty, or if the safety was still on, and that would perhaps give Dimitri the chance to disarm him. But we had no way of knowing if the gun had bullets in it unless he actually shot at something. And I didn't want that something to be my husband.

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused?"

Adrian's voice was slurred and grew louder as he continued to rant at Dimitri. "…fucked up my life. Ruined my relationship…"

"Adrian, please, calm down. Let's talk about this rational-"

_"SHUT UP!" _Adrian roared at Dimitri and my blood turned to ice as the sound of a gun cocking echoed through the sudden silence.

_Where the fuck are the police?_

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I rounded the corner, my gaze moving straight to Dimitri's face; his eyes widening fractionally when he noticed me.

"…that little slut was nothing. _NOTHING! _And then you came along and ruined it. You fucking _RUINED_ it all!"

"Ad-"

_"SHUT. THE. FUCK. UP!"_

Panic filled Dimitri's eyes as I cautiously stepped a little further into the room, being careful to not accidentally kick any of the abandoned monopoly pieces or to make any noise.

_Get out, Rose._

I shook my head and Dimitri's lips pressed together as we silently argued.

I started to reach for the wine bottle that had been placed by the sofa, mentally preparing myself to whack him over the head with it.

"No," Dimitri's sudden outburst made me freeze on the spot, terrified that Adrian had seen me. "Adrian, don't do this," his voice was soothing and I realised that he was trying to keep Adrian's attention, to distract him. "Just think about it, if you do this, you have so much to lose and nothing to gain."

I swallowed and steadied the bottle in my hands as I stepped even closer. My senses flew into overdrive, my vision becoming crystal clear as I steeled myself.

"Think about Camille and Dan-"

Adrian's hand lowered, as I took another step forwards, and Dimitri seized his chance. His left hand shot out in a closed fist, connecting with Adrian's jaw. Adrian began to lift the gun again, and Dimitri's hand closed around Adrian's, a grunt escaping from his lips as he tried to twist the gun and forced Adrian's hand upwards, towards the ceiling. My eyes widened as Adrian swung wildly, his hand making contact with Dimitri's arm, making him falter as Adrian tried to bring the gun down again.

_Bang._

Dimitri's hand continued to twist the gun around, determination the prominent expression on his face before anything could happen. His left hand fisted and swung again, Adrian's head whipping to the side as Dimitri's fist connected with his cheek once more.

_Bang._

Blood splattered from where Adrian's face had been moments before, covering/flecking me and Dimitri. My eyes widened and then I screamed as his body slumped on the floor, gun still in hand. A strange gurgling sound rumbled from his mangled face, as his body twitched, and then he stopped moving completely, a deafening silence filling the room.

"Roza-"

My eyes rose to meet Dimitri's. "Is he, y- you know?" Tears welled up and began to slip down my cheeks as my throat tightened. "I lo-" My voice cut off as Dimitri opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. "Dimitri?"

It felt like we'd stepped into a bubble where everything moved in slow motion.

I stepped forwards, the bottle of wine slipping from my hands, forgotten. _"Dimitri!"_ Pain covered his features, his hands stretching out towards me, and my name on his lips as he crumpled to the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>*ducks and covers* Umm, don't form a lynch mob yet, please? Just trust me. <strong>

**Is anyone watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics? Watching it right now I am so incredibly proud to be British!**

I don't have much else to say except to please check out my now complete fic, **Thinking of You.** It's fourteen chapters long – including the prologue and epilogue and has relatively short chapters so won't take very long to read. If you do, just remember to keep some tissues and comfort food close by for the later chapters… Also, my July drabble war entry **Better the Enemy You Know. **That one is very twisted and unexpected, but I think you'd enjoy it!

Check out **The Molnija Awards** here on the site. Some amazing authors and stories have been nominated and I'm sure they'd appreciate your votes.

Also check out the **Fandom for the Homeless.** I am going to be writing an outtake or o/s for it, either an APOV of the court case, the prequel to this story, or the continuation of the scene when Rose came home from her Hen Night and found the house in a mess. Signups and donations and contributions are open until September so please have a look.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty. **

**Anonymous review replies in the end A.N.**

***sniffles* Here's the last chapter. We have two chapter/a chapter and an epilogue to go and then this story is done! I'm not sure if ffn sent out the notification for the last chapter? If you didn't get an email for chapter 39 on Friday night then make sure you go back a chapter and read it otherwise you'll be confused.**

**This chapter is dedicated to the fabulous Hannah (Przybsewski). It was her birthday yesterday and she lurrrrrrrrves this story. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get this chapter up in time, but happy birthday sweetie! If you want to wish her a happy birthday, maybe go and check out her stories and leave her a little review too? :)**

**Thank you so much to WelshWitch1011 for the medical advice!**

* * *

><p><em>When you're ready, it'll be perfect, and I don't care how long it takes. I'm not with you simply for your body, no matter how tempting it is. I'm with you because I care about you – more than I've ever cared about anyone else."<em>

**oOoOo**

_"Dad."_

_Alyssa and Tom shut up immediately as my stunned eyes flashed to Sophia. Sophia who was stood by the door with her arms outstretched towards Dimitri._

_Dimitri had frozen too, but when Sophia repeated her request he seemed to snap out of it._

_The three of us watched in silent shock as Dimitri picked up Sophia and cradled her to his chest tenderly as she smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly._

_She rested her face in the crook of his neck, yawned and promptly fell asleep._

_Dimitri smiled down at the top of her head before his stunned eyes met mine._

_"Well what did you guys expect?" _

**oOoOo**

_He cracked a grin. "I'm not that tall Roza."_

_"Yes you are."_

_"You're as tall like our house. You're a giant." Sophia piped up._

_Dimitri threw her an amused smile before scooping her up into his arms and holding her tightly so that she couldn't escape._

_"Is that so?"_

_She laughed and nodded._

_"Are you sure?"_

_A giggle burst out of her mouth as she nodded once more. "With all my toes and fingers."_

_Dimitri gasped in mock horror. "All of your toes and fingers? You're that sure?"_

_She nodded and he laughed. "Well I guess I'll just have to change your mind."_

_He shifted so that she was held securely in one arm before his spare hand poked her in her sides gently. "Are you sure you don't want to change your mind?"_

_She shook her head, her eyes glinting with anticipation before Dimitri started to tickle her tummy. Light, childish squeals of laughter and deep, rumbling chuckles filled the air as Dimitri tickled her until she threw herself forwards, shielding her tummy from his fingers._

_"No more dad!"_

_He poked her side. "Say the magic words."_

_Another laugh burst out of her mouth. "You're not a giant. You're not a giant!"_

**oOoOo**

_"Don't. Ever. Touch. My. Roza. Don't look at her or her children."_

**oOoOo**

_I peek into the front room and smile as my heart aches. Dimitri's sat in the middle of the sofa, Katrina and Alyssa squished up against him on either side while Tom sits curled up on his lap. They're all huddled together and talking quietly, but from my position I can't hear what they're saying. Instead of moving closer, I stay in the doorway and watch the scene unfold._

_Alyssa wraps her arms around Dimitri's waist, while Katrina snuggles into his side even more. He smiles down at the both of them and murmurs something before he leans down and kisses them both on the forehead, one at a time._

_Tom shifts with Dimitri's movement and buries his face in Dimitri's top, his small hands twisting into the material of Dimitri's t-shirt as Dimitri glances down in concern and wraps his arms around Tom once more._

_They look like a family._

_Like a father comforting his children, easing their fears while the storm rages outside._

**oOoOo**

_Dimitri was stood outside my front door, his phone balanced between his shoulder and his ear as he struggled with the three huge bags he was carrying._

_Once the door was open he stepped over the threshold and dumped the bags as silently as possible, before heading back out to his car, and returning with another three._

_"What's all this?"_

_My eyes were huge as I stared at the massive duffel bag that he placed alongside the others._

_"My things."_

_"Your- your things?"_

_He nodded as I shut the door, and shrugged off his jacket and shoes._

_"But- but- You hate me."_

_He crossed the small space separating us and cupped my face in his hands. "I don't hate you, Roza."_

_"But- you, you…" He cut off my incoherent babble by pressing his lips to mine._

_A slight moan worked its way out of my throat as his lips moulded against mine softly, the way I'd dreamt about for the past two months._

_Once the kiss ended both of us were breathing raggedly. "I don't hate you," he repeated. "I love you, Roza."_

**oOoOo**

_"No," He shook his head. "It's all you. All I did was turn you in the right direction. But what I was actually saying thank you for, was for having the self-respect that most other women would have tried to cover up. Yesterday, when I gave you my key, you didn't drop everything you were doing, and run back to my flat so we could get naked. You stood your ground, and went back to your kids, the way you should have. You proved to yourself that you're worth more, and that you know that you're worth more, and that you respect both of us enough to not run back to my flat so we could have hot make-up sex.""_

_"But… didn't we just have extremely hot make-up sex?"_

_He shook his head and kissed my bare shoulder. "No. We made up, and then we had I'm glad we're back together sex."_

_I giggled. "That's the same thing."_

_"No it's not."_

_"Yes it is."_

_"No it's not, Roza."_

_"Yes it is, comrade."_

_"Is not."_

_"Is too. Now shut up and kiss me."_

**oOoOo**

_'A French saying that's commonly used on posy rings is 'My whole heart, for my whole life.' And I find that saying to be incredibly true. Even though we've only been together for eighteen months, I feel like I've known and loved her for my entire life. We have four beautiful children together, though none of them are mine biologically, and one of them isn't hers biologically either. Roza, they say that 'soul-mates are people who bring out the best in you. They are not perfect but are always perfect for you.' And that's so true. In my eyes, you're perfect. I love you, every curve, every curl, and every inch that is you. I love you each and every down day, fat day, grumpy day, happy day and all of the days in between. I know I haven't asked your father's permission yet, and I intend to do that as soon as possible. So will you please grant me the greatest honour in the world, by becoming my wife?'_

**oOoOo**

_I stomped down the hall and into the bedroom, so that he knew what was coming and then slammed the door open as I stalked inside._

_"Oh."_

_My anger evaporated as I took in the scene before me._

_The blankets had clearly been kicked off while he was asleep, revealing Dimitri curled up on my side of the bed, in the Winnie the Pooh top and shorts Sophia had bought for his birthday so long ago. I walked up to the side of the bed and my heart melted a little as I saw he had his face buried into the top of my pillow while he hugged the bottom end to his chest. I frowned as I noticed it was a different colour to the other pillowcase, and then realised that it was wrapped up in one of the tops I wore when I lazed around the house._

_"Dimitri?" My voice was soft as I sat down on the edge of the bed and shook his shoulders gently. He looked so innocent, his features peaceful and childlike with strands of hair across his face as he snored slightly. _

**oOoOo**

_"Roza. I love you, and there are no words that can express just how much I love you and our kids. I, Dimitri Paul Belikov, take you, Rosemarie Hathaway, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part. I accept Alyssa Marie, Tom Adrian, Sophia Abrianna and Katrina Rachel Ivashkov as our children and a part of our family, and promise to love and care for them as my own until the day I die."_

**oOoOo**

_"He'll hurt me by hurting you." Dimitri crawled over to me and cupped my face in his hands when my voice wavered._

_"He won't, Roza. I won't let him. Just please, go out where it's safe." His lips brushed against mine softly as a tear rolled down my cheek._

_"Do you promise?" I was asking the impossible, but he nodded anyway._

_"I promise."_

_"I'll hold you to that." He chuckled lightly and then pressed his lips to mine again as my fingers tangled into his hair, pulling him closer before a large cracking sound echoed from the hallway._

_"Is he trying to break the door down?"_

_Worry filled Dimitri's eyes as he pushed me towards the door. "Go. Christian," he paused and a grim expression settled over his features. "Look after them."_

_I paused in the doorway and motioned for Lissa to lead the kids out as I turned back to Dimitri, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I love you."_

_His eyes softened, and for a moment it looked like tears welled up in his eyes as well. "I love you, too, Roza. Now go."_

_I sniffled and nodded as he stood, determination settling over his features as he strode towards the door and we crawled down the hallway. I watched as he paused for a moment, and then stepped outside, pulling the backdoor shut behind me, locking my husband in with a monster._

**oOoOo**

_"I'm not going anywhere girls. I promise. You're all stuck with me now, till the day I die."_

Memories of the moments we'd shared and the things that we'd said bombarded my mind and tears slipped down my cheeks as I paced up and down the hospital corridor. Mia's eyes watched me as I paced, but she didn't try to stop or calm me, knowing that as more time passed I would only get more antsy if I was made to sit down. Lissa and Christian were with the kids and my parents were on their way, so Mia and Mason had met me at the hospital. Right now, pacing backwards and forwards in a monotonous routine was the only thing stopping me from breaking down fully. Tears still leaked from my eyes as I swiped at them and sniffled, but focusing on a more mundane task helped me to stay in control. I needed to be strong for Dimitri when he woke up.

It had been four hours since we'd arrived at the hospital, and I still hadn't been told anything further on Dimitri's condition. After he'd collapsed I'd been frozen, terrified that he was dead too as blood bloomed up, soaking and staining his t-shirt crimson red.

_"Roza…" His weak voice had me by his side in seconds, the blanket that was usually thrown over the back of the sofa pressed against his gunshot wound as I tried to apply pressure in an attempt to stop the bleeding. _

_"Dimitri!" My hand slapped against his shoulder as his eyes began to flutter shut. "Don't you dare! You stay awake and you keep fighting!"_

_His eyes struggled to open and met my gaze as his breathing grew laboured. "… kids okay?"_

_I nodded and then took his hand in mine, pressing it down on top of the blanket to maintain the pressure. _

_"Keep pushing down, I'll be right back."_

_His brow furrowed slightly with confusion as I sprinted to the back door to wrench it open. "CHRISTIAN!"_

_I didn't wait for his response, running back to Dimitri's side as I took over holding the blanket to his chest again with one hand while I brushed the hair off of his forehead with the other. _

_"You're doing really well, Comrade, keep it up," my voice wobbled and tears spilled down my cheeks. "Y-"_

_"Holy shit!" My head snapped up and Dimitri's eyes flickered over to see Christian stood in the doorway, horror covering his features. "What-"_

_"Call a goddamned ambulance!" _

_"The police are already suppo-"_

_"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! CALL THEM NOW!" My voice cracked with the force of my scream and Christian jumped a little before searching his pockets for his phone. My hands pressed down on Dimitri's chest harder as he shivered slightly and I turned, gratitude clogging my throat as Lissa entered the room with another blanket in her hands._

_"I'll keep the kids in the garden."_

_"The ambulance should be here soon."_

_I nodded and tried to hold back my sobs as Dimitri's gaze flickered around the room, landing on her retreating figure for a moment, and then met my eyes._

_"My legs…" Dimitri's breathing continued to grow more laboured and my panic spiked as Christian knelt down on his other side._

_"Your legs are fine; you're going to be fine." _

_I was babbling but his gaze didn't leave mine even as Christian moved my hands away to take over as I wiped them dry on my jeans so that I could cradle his face in my palms and run my fingers through his hair._

_"You are going to be okay. The ambulance is going to come and they'll fix your chest and- and-" One of Dimitri's large palms lifted to cup my face, his thumb brushing away the tears streaking down my cheeks. "and they'll m- make sure that you heal up properly. And it'll all be okay. It has to be okay." I turned my face to press a kiss to his palm before my eyes met his again._

_"Just keep fighting for me, Comrade. We're not going to give up on you so you can't give up either."_

_He nodded weakly, and a watery smile lifted at my lips as the wail of the ambulance siren filled the air._

_"See? They're going to make you all better."_

_I pressed a final kiss to his palm and then his forehead as Christian led the paramedics into the room, allowing myself to be pushed back so that they had enough space to work. Dimitri's eyes stayed locked with mine, staring at me unblinkingly for a few moments as the paramedics grew more frantic with their actions and moved in front of his face, blocking me from view_.

"Kiz."

I crumpled into my dad's open arms, harsh sobs tearing out of my chest as he rocked me softly.

"Shhh, it's okay. We're here."

"He- he got-" I hiccupped and clutched at him tighter as another pair of hands began to rub my back.

"Lissa told us over the phone," My mum's voice was soft and I cried harder as my dad drew her into his embrace too. "She made sure the kids weren't around to hear her."

"Cry it out, kiz." My dad began to run his fingers through my hair, and I let myself go completely.

* * *

><p><em>I looked back at Yeva, whose eyebrows puckered with concentration, before her eyes snapped open and she stared at me. A melange of emotions passed across her features before she composed herself, and clasped my hand tighter. "Do you love him?"<em>

_The question threw me and it took a second for me to grasp who she meant. "Do you love him?" Her voice seemed slightly panicked._

_"Ye- yes. With all my heart. I do, Yeva."_

_She nodded, and her eyes calmed slightly. "Your road is still unclear. I see two endings, but neither is assured. Dimka will walk alongside you, but whether he's there to share in your ending is up to you. You have my blessing and my acceptance, Roza. I see your devotion to my grandson, but that may not be enough." Yeva seemed to be talking to herself, and I waited for her to release my hand, too frightened to try and pull away. "Believe, Roza. When the time is right, you will understand what I mean. Believe."_

_The word held some meaning, some answer behind it, but before I could question her, she'd dropped my hand and turned away to motion towards her bags. "Let's go."_

"Kiz,"

"Dimitri?"

I jumped awake as my dad shook my shoulders gently. "You were crying again."

I frowned and touched under my eyes lightly, feeling the slight puffiness that always came with crying and the wetness of my tears. I'd fallen asleep, or rather, passed out from exhaustion a few times; either startling myself awake from the gunshots that punctuated my nightmares, or having my parents wake me up because I'd begun to cry, my dreams filled with scenes that involved pine wood coffins and tear filled eulogies.

"Kiz," My dad turned my face towards his so he could look me in the eye. "I want you to prepare yourself. It might not be the news we're hoping for-"

"Don't say that!" I sprang to my feet as tears rolled down my cheeks once more. "If we give up then he won't pull through. We _have_ to hope for the best."

"Kiz," his voice was soft. "We do believe that he'll pull through, but just in case he doesn't-"

I stared at him speechlessly. "How can you even say that?" My fists clenched. "When I was half beaten to death, did Dimitri give up on me? Did he?"

"Rose, but you hadn't-"

"So what!" I interrupted my mother, my voice growing louder and angrier with every word. "He didn't give up on me! He encouraged and supported me and kept me going even when I didn't believe in myself. He believed that I would make it through, so I am going to do the same for him. He needs our belief."

I smiled gratefully at my mum as she handed me a tissue, and then glanced up as the sound of a door slamming shut echoed down the corridor.

_Dimitri_.

Two people were walking down the corridor towards us; a doctor in surgeon's scrubs and a nurse, their faces sombre. My stomach tightened as I analysed everything; if they were too tense, if they were too relaxed, whether their walk was too slow, if it was too fast, if the hand the surgeon was swinging was moving too quickly - all in an attempt to figure out whether it would be good or bad news. Or maybe she wasn't even Dimitri's doctor and would walk straight past us.

"Mrs. Belikov?"

"Yes?"

My stomach clenched as they stopped a few steps away.

"I'm Doctor Meredith Miles. I was the head surgeon working on your husband. This is nurse Olendzki," she motioned towards the slightly older woman stood beside her.

"Is Dimitri okay?" My fingers twisted and untwisted, nerves making my voice tremble. "How bad is he? Is he going to be okay?"

My eyes met the surgeon's, and I felt my throat clog with unshed tears at the slight glint of happiness in her gaze.

"The bullet hit him in the upper right side of his chest. He had a pneumothorax," At my confused expression she smiled slightly, "That means a collapsed lung." But then her features became serious once again. "He was incredibly lucky and the bullet missed all of his major blood vessels, but he still lost a lot of blood. The paramedics did a great job and thankfully the surgery went smoothly. We were able to stabilise him before things could get any worse and we didn't have to remove any of the lung tissue," Meredith smiled. "He's going to be okay. It will take him a few months to recover fully, but-"

She cut off with a breathy gasp as I hugged her tightly, a bright grin on my face as tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks.

"C- can I see him?" my voice wobbled as I released the poor doctor from my bear hug, but I didn't care.

She breathed in deeply, massaging her chest a little as my dad chuckled, but nodded. "Give the nurses ten minutes to finish cleaning him up and then you can go in. Because of the anaesthetic he'll probably stay under for another hour or so, and he'll be confused when he wakes up. He'll also probably fall asleep quickly after he wakes up, that's perfectly normal. Just make sure to call the nurse as soon as he wakes up the first time. Nurse Olendzki will explain the next steps for his recovery fully and then take you up to his room when he's ready for visitors."

"Okay," I nodded and smiled at her gratefully as she squeezed my shoulder. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome, Mrs. Belikov."

I turned back to face my parents as Meredith smiled one last time and then walked away.

"There's just one thing I need to do before I go in."

* * *

><p><em>Get a grip, Rose. It's three minutes. Three measly minutes. What's the worst that can happen?<em>

I paced as best I could inside the little cubicle, anxiously counting down from one hundred and eighty in my head.

_If my guess is right, Dimitri will be happy. This will give him something else to recover for._

_And if I'm wrong… well, I was wrong. There'll be no need to get him worried or upset because I went off of my hunch._

_And Lissa and Christian, well, they either get what they wanted or they'll be understanding and willing to wait a little longer. Maybe Mia-_

The beep from my phone timer startled me out of my silent rambles, and I breathed in deeply before turning the little stick in my hand over.

_Pregnant._

* * *

><p><strong>Char – Here you go! Enjoy! :)<strong>

Guest – If you're still reading, though I doubt it, here's your explanation. **Sorry if you find the religious part of this story a turn off. It's a small part of this story, and I only put in moments that are suitable. The Bible reference was needed in my opinion and was minor so I don't see what your problem is. **

**sunshine5284 – Thank you so much for starting this story! :) I hope you enjoy this chapter too!**

**Lady Dmitri – Nope we have this chapter and then two more before it's finished!**

**Panky95 – It's good to hear from you again sweetie! I'm glad you're ok :) Thank you so much for your review and I'm always here if you want to talk. I'm so glad that the chapter helped you, and I definitely agree. Stay strong and I'm sure that it will all work out for the best. Good luck to you and your boyfriend, and I'll be keeping you in my thoughts! xxxxxxx**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One.**

Massive apologies for the delay. I was working two jobs to save up for uni once again :( and I'm also trying to finish up a **o/s I'm writing for the** **Fandom for The Homeless**. It's a really, really good cause that's got some AMAZING authors signed up, but it desperately needs more donations! **If you want to check it out the link is on my profile or type Fandom for The Homeless into google.** The o/s I'm writing is going to be VERY hot, VERY smutty and VERY loving, and probably **will not be posted here on afterwards**, so if you want to read it either sign up as a contributing author or donate please! :)

**Also, a little reminder. **I will **not** be giving up on this story. Though at times it seems like I've dropped off of the face of the Earth, it's probably just life getting in the way or writer's block stopping me from getting the chapter done as soon as I'd hope. If you're ever worried, drop me a PM and I'll respond asap, as with reviews I reply before the next chapter posts so that you know it's coming.

**Replies for chapter 38's anonymous reviews:**

**Angela masson** – Thank you! I'm glad! :)

**Guest **– hehe, I'm glad you like Tom's character. I love writing him, he always makes me giggle. And I'm really glad you're enjoying the story!

**Replies for last chapter's anonymous reviews:**

**Guest **– Yep, I always intended for them to have a baby, just not as soon as everyone else wanted lol.

**Buria** – Lol.

**sunshine5284** – I'm glad that you're enjoying the story and I'm really sad that it's about to end too. I think I'm going to bawl like a baby once I have to click the 'complete' button. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Ms. Sweden** – Sorry for making you (almost) cry! Sorry for the onslaught of emotions you felt, but thanks for letting me know how you felt and how effective it was! :) I think you'll love what's about to come.

**Guest** – Hehe! Yep, five kids! Their lives will never be the same again lol. But I'm happy you're enjoying it all the same! :)

**Panky95 – **I'm glad you're still working your way through and enjoying the story!

**Guest – **Sorry, lol.

**Guest – **Sorry for the delay but here it finally is. I'm not giving up on this story, I promise. Enjoy!

**Huge thanks to Laura, Mich, Michele, Rachel and Tiffany for all the baby and pregnancy advice. I couldn't have written those sweet scenes without you! **

**Huge thanks to Little-Angry-Kitten for the WC's that went on for crazy amounts of time and the encouragement, help and advice I needed to kick my ass into gear and keep going with this chapter. **

**Here's the final, final chapter of Life Will Turn Around. Next will be the epilogue and then this story will be complete. :(**

* * *

><p><em>Get a grip, Rose. It's three minutes. Three measly minutes. What's the worst that can happen?<em>

I paced as best I could inside the little cubicle, anxiously counting down from one hundred and eighty in my head.

_If my guess is right, Dimitri will be happy. This will give him something else to recover for._

_And if I'm wrong… well, I was wrong. There'll be no need to get him worried or upset because I went off of my hunch._

_And Lissa and Christian, well, they either get what they wanted or they'll be understanding and willing to wait a little longer. Maybe Mia-_

The beep from my phone timer startled me out of my silent rambles, and I breathed in deeply before turning the little stick in my hand over.

_Pregnant._

* * *

><p>I felt light headed and dizzy as I entered Dimitri's room, opening and shutting the door behind me quietly. My footsteps were soft as I moved to Dimitri's bedside and sat in the empty chair, taking note of how small his large frame seemed, how vulnerable he was. His eyes were shut, his face peaceful and calm; a thick piece of gauze taped down over the spot where the bullet had entered his chest, and the heart rate monitor behind his head beeped steadily.<p>

"Hey, Comrade," I pushed some of the hair out of his face tenderly, and took his large hand in mine, rubbing circles into the slightly calloused skin of his palm, hoping that he'd squeeze my hand back. "It seems corny, but I'm going to talk to you anyway. Even though you're not in a coma. I love you. And I want to say thank you so much for making such a big sacrifice for us. You almost ended up losing your life, but I'm so thankful that you didn't. That we do get to share all of those birthdays and Christmases still to come."

I paused, and then squeezed his hand. "And- and, I have to tell you now, and I'm hoping you can hear me. Because I'm scared and I don't know if I have the guts to say it out loud again unless you know, and I want you to be the first person to know. I'm pregnant, Dimitri. We're going to have a little baby Belikov, despite everything I said before." A wry smile pulled at my lips, and then I pressed his palm against my stomach. "I thought I was pregnant, but I wasn't sure. I didn't want to get your hopes up just to have to dash them, and with the whole surrogacy issue and the court case, I didn't want to add another worry to the load we were carrying. I was scared that if I told you and it turned out to be a false alarm you'd feel like it was your fault or like we then had to start trying for a baby, and I didn't want you under that pressure when you already do so much, _are_ so much for our family. We love you so much, and we need you. I need you. The kids need you. And-" I pressed his hand against my stomach more firmly. "This little one needs you. They need a daddy too."

My eyes flickered down from where they'd been focused on the cardiac monitor and leaked happy tears when they met Dimitri's open ones, the chocolate brown soft and gentle as his hand stretched out and then cupped my stomach.

"Hey, Comrade." My voice was soft, as his lips pulled up into a soft smile and his eyes flickered between mine and my stomach a few times. "I'm guessing you heard all of that, huh?" He nodded slowly, and his smile brightened as I interlinked our fingers and pressed them against my stomach a little more.

"R..." He coughed and shifted a little and then tried again. "R…" His eyes flickered across to the jug of water and I pressed the call button for the nurse before hastily pouring him a small glass and carefully helping him to drink small sips. He sighed in satisfaction as he finished another half glass of water, and then his fingers began to rub small circles on my stomach as we waited for the nurse to arrive.

"Roza," his voice was raspy and weak, but happy tears still filled my eyes at hearing him talk.

"Are you in pain?" I pressed the buzzer for the nurse again despite the shake of his head.

The nurse entered the room and began to check his monitors before fiddling with his IV. I brushed the hair off of his forehead softly, and then kissed his lips lightly, a small smile hitting my lips as his eyes met mine and then began to droop as he fought to keep them open.

"Sleep, you need it to recover."

His hand stretched out and I giggled, scooting my chair forwards again once the nurse was finished with her check-up so that he could touch my stomach.

"I bet the baby is sleeping. You should follow his or her example."

A light chuckle escaped Dimitri's lips and his thumb rubbed against my stomach softly.

"I love you both."

I smiled and then tucked the covers around his body more securely as his fingers stopped moving and his breaths evened out.

"We love you too."

* * *

><p>"Dad!"<p>

"Dad!"

I moved out of the way and Dimitri stepped backwards a little as the kids slammed into him, twisting his body carefully so that they didn't hurt his chest.

"We missed you so much!"

"You're the bravest daddy in the whole world!"

A lump grew in my throat at the last line and tears brimmed in Dimitri's eyes as he sank to his knees gracefully and held his arms out so that the kids could hug him properly.

"Is Adrian coming back?"

I froze at Katrina's question, and then shook my head. "No. He's _never,_ _ever_ coming back. _Never_."

A small tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and I stepped forwards, hugging her tightly and allowing her a moment to enjoy the first feeling of complete safety and security with no more fears at the back of her mind.

"He's never coming back, Katrina. You're safe, really and truly."

I kissed her forehead as she smiled and tightened her grip around my waist.

"Did Adrian hurt you?" Tom's eyes were wide as Sophia kissed Dimitri's cheek.

"Just a little in my chest."

Immediately all four kids pulled back and Katrina gasped, but Dimitri pulled them back into his embrace. "It just hurts a little on my right side. So long as you're careful and give me _lots_ of hugs I'll be fine."

I giggled as the kids wrapped their arms around him tightly, and then Tom's head poked up. "Do you have a scar?"

"Probably a little one."

"Cool! Can I see it?"

Dimitri chuckled and then stood up as they released him. "Maybe once it's healed. Now, who wants a game of monopoly?"

I scowled despite the humour in his eyes. "That's not funny."

"It is a little," he chuckled. "And besides," he shrugged. "The kids owe me a rematch. And this time, no cheating. I should have won that last game."

Tom snorted. "You wish, dad."

And just like that, though things were still far from perfect, I knew that we were on the right track.

Until I looked up and saw Lissa and Christian's relieved smiles as they watched Dimitri and the kids interact, something that would never have happened again if Adrian had succeeded.

I breathed in deeply, gathering all my courage before I began to shoo the kids away. "Your dad and I need to talk to Auntie Liss and Uncle Christian before they leave. Go play in the garden and I'll call you in when we're done, okay?"

Dimitri's eyes snapped over to meet mine, widening slightly as he realised exactly what I was going to do and he shook his head slightly.

"We can talk later, Roza."

"No, we need to do this now."

His gaze was worried as it flickered in Lissa and Christian's direction and I nodded. They needed to be told sooner rather than later.

"What's going on guys? You look like you're having a quite a serious telepathic conversation."

I laughed weakly at Lissa's attempt to lighten the tension and then motioned for them to follow Dimitri into the front room. "I'll get us some drinks. We all need to be comfortable for this."

* * *

><p>My hands shook a little as I sipped at my tea, and then looked up.<p>

"I, I don't really know how to put this into words. But you deserve to know now rather than later. We, I mean, I, well," I stammered and stumbled over my words until Christian cut me off.

"You've changed your minds?" His voice was tinged with sadness, but when I met his gaze, they showed nothing but understanding, as did Lissa's, though tears had welled up in hers.

"No!" I shook my head adamantly and Dimitri's arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer so that his hand could rest on my stomach.

"Roza is pregnant."

Both their jaws dropped, and Lissa's eyes focussed on my stomach, the sadness even more prominent. I felt my gut twist and realised that Dimitri had been partly right. This was only rubbing salt into old wounds, and snuffing out the hope they'd had that soon they'd be holding a squirmy little baby of their own.

"So the deal is off?" Lissa's voice wobbled a little, but held firm. "I mean, you're pregnant, and with our ages and things, after this one, you guys are going to want to just relax and enjoy things going back to normal and your life together and-"

"We still want to help you, Lissa." Dimitri's voice was soft and I nodded.

"I'll still have your baby; you guys will just have to wait a little while longer. Unless you want to get Mia to try."

Christian snorted. "And have to put up with her bitching afterwards about the fact that her figure has been lost and the stretch marks that she has and even more whiney crap? I mean…" his voice trailed off as Lissa glared up at him. "Babe, I know Mia's a really nice person, but even you can't say that you wouldn't rather wait. I know you're friends now, but you've known her for how long compared to Rose?" He grimaced when Lissa's glare intensified. "I just can't see her going through with it, babe, and I don't say that to be mean. I'm being honest. I would rather wait, or to try and go through the hell the adoption agency put us through again. You and Rose are best friends. This means much more to all of us, and our baby would be so much more special and blessed if Rose was the one to carry her. And I know that you'd prefer to be squealing over little outfits and nursery plans with Rose than you would Mia. You'll never have the friendship you do with Rose with anyone else."

I had to swallow heavily to get past the lump in my throat. I'd never realised how highly Christian valued mine and Lissa's friendship, or how much he understood it.

"Rose, I'm not going to ask you to hold true to your promise. Having a baby is a big deal and a lot of stress on your body, and I don't want you to feel obligated. We never wanted that."

Lissa nodded. "You're my best friend, and the fact that you were willing to go through all of this meant more to me than you could ever imagine."

"What do you mean 'were'?" I smiled at their confused expressions. I will still do this for you both. We have another little hitch, but you guys, you deserve to be parents. You'll be amazing. And I want to do this for you. On one condition," They both froze and Dimitri chuckled.

"Don't look so worried, Roza is just trying to be dramatic. We were just hoping that you'd agree to be this baby's Godparents?"

"You're having a baby?"

All four of our heads snapped over to the doorway to see the kids stunned faces. We'd been so caught up in our conversation that none of us had noticed the kids sneaking back in to earwig on our conversation.

Then the uproar started.

"You're having _another_ baby?"

"Please say it's a boy!"

"I want to call it Susan if it's a girl and Michael if it's a boy."

"Susan's a stupid name!"

"No it's not!"

"I want it to be called Jack or Tom."

"What if the baby's a girl, huh?"

"Why don't you just shut up, huh?"

"Why don't you make me?"

"I-"

"That's enough!" Dimitri barely had to raise his voice and they all stopped arguing instantly. "Yes, we are going to be having another baby. No, you will not be naming him or her. You can help us pick name choices, but you are not going to be making that decision. And no, Tom, you will not be having the bigger room so the baby can have yours. The same goes for you Sophia."

* * *

><p>"What do you think we're having?"<p>

I giggled as Dimitri's lips began to kiss a slow path down my neck, his hand rubbing the small baby bump that was only noticeable to those of us who knew. I was four months pregnant and due to have the baby at the end of June. It had been two months since Dimitri had been shot and he was recovering well, as well as holding back any complaints about the exercises his physiotherapist made him do.

"Boy."

He grinned against my collar bone. "I bet you twenty pounds that we have a girl."

I pursed my lips as his mouth skimmed down over my chest and down past where he'd pulled my top up to expose my slightly rounded stomach.

"You'd seriously bet on the gender of our baby?"

His lips began to rain soft, tender kisses over my stomach. "Daddy loves you, baby girl."

I snorted. "We're having a boy. I had a girl, then a boy, then a girl, so it's only right that I have another boy."

"My mother had three girls and one boy, you might be the same."

I snorted. "I think Tom feels a bit outnumbered right now. And besides, a mother's intuition is never wrong."

"So you agree to the bet then?" Dimitri stopped kissing my stomach and glanced up at me, a mischievous smile pulling at his lips.

"I agree to a bet, but I want more than money."

"Oh yes? What did you have in mind, Mrs. Belikov?"

I giggled at the suggestive tone to his voice and then pulled his face up so that his lips met mine. "I think you know…" I grinned as his hands began to massage my thighs.

"A replay of our honeymoon, Mrs. Belikov?" His mouth ghosted down my neck as my back arched into him. "Or maybe a preview of next year's unofficial honeymoon?"

"You know me so well," a teasing smirk hit my lips.

"When I win, I get to tie you up and do naughty things to you."

I laughed and then shivered as his hungry gaze met mine. "Deal." I moaned as his lips met mine, demanding and unyielding as his fingers slipped underneath my top to cup my breasts. "But when _I_ win, Comrade…" I pulled back to see the anticipation in his eyes. "Be prepared to have to give me a written apology for doubting my intuition. And a night of hot sex."

He chuckled. "Deal. Now…" His hands continued to push my top over my shoulders. "Get naked, Mrs. Belikov. I need some physical therapy."

He waggled his eyebrows and my eyes widened as I bit my lip, laughter threatening to bubble out of my chest. "Physical therapy?" My voice wobbled and his brows furrowed as a giggle slipped out. "That's the best line you could come up with?"

"What's wrong with it?" Dimitri looked genuinely confused, and that was it. I doubled over, the laughter echoing around the room as he poked at my side and huffed.

"Oh God." I moaned at the ache in my stomach. "We're really hitting that 'comfortable' stage and it's not even been a year yet. You couldn't have gone with something cheesy like singing Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing or something?"

More laughter left my mouth and the light slammed off, my giggles slowing as Dimitri rolled onto his side, away from me, taking the covers with him.

"Comrade?"

A snore sounded from his side of the bed and I fought to get my laughter under control as I rolled closer to him.

"Dimitri?" My lips pressed against his bare shoulder as he pretended to sleep. "I'm sorry." He 'snored' again and tried to scoot away even further as I slipped my arms around his waist, pressing my chest against his back. "I'm really sorry. Let me make it up to you…"

His breathing cut off as I slid my hands over his body; one up his chest and the other over his abs and further down, a triumphant smile pulling at my lips when a shiver ran through his body.

"I'm really, _really_ sorry… Let me show you how sorry I am."

* * *

><p>I grumbled as the cold gel touched my stomach and was spread over my skin by the technician as she began to slowly push down and move the ultrasound wand over my stomach.<p>

"I need to go to the loo, and that cold gel isn't helping. Neither is my bladder being pushed against by that damn wand."

The sonographer just laughed as Dimitri hushed me and tried to apologise.

"No worries. I'm used to it by now, there's always a grumpy one."

I scowled at the teasing note to her voice and then pouted as I muttered. "It _is_ cold."

"Look, Roza," Dimitri was awed, his attention focussed wholeheartedly on the grainy black and white image on the screen as he kissed my palm. "Look, Roza," his voice was so soft that I struggled to hear him. "Our baby."

I squinted at the blurry image and then smiled when the technician traced the outline and began to explain what she was pointing to. After going through it three times already I knew how to recognise all the different shapes and body parts, but Dimitri hadn't and so I stayed quiet as he stared at the screen in fascination, drinking in the information the sonographer spoke.

"Here's the head," Her finger traced down the screen as she moved the wand a little further to the left, and here, can you see the little flicker?" We both nodded and she smiled. "That's the baby's heart; you can see that's a good, steady heartbeat."

"Oh," Dimitri breathed out, leaning forwards in his chair a little as she paused. "That's amazing."

"If you look here, can you see the fingers? And here?"

I tilted my head to the side as Dimitri laced his fingers with mine, watching him watch the screen and marvelled at the glint in his dark eyes, the fascination that lit them up every time the sonographer moved the wand over my stomach to a different point and something new was pointed out to him.

"Tell me what you're thinking," my voice was barely a whisper, but Dimitri heard, turning large, chocolate brown eyes to mine. "Tell me what it's like for you."

His breath was shaky as he exhaled, and then he turned his head turned, his lips softly pressing against my palm.

"It's like… magic," His eyes flickered back to the screen. "I, I can't believe that we're really having a baby. It doesn't seem real, yet it is. It's like I'm breathing too fast and too hard and not breathing all at once. I want to cry and laugh and yell my joy out to the world. It's so humbling and awe-inspiring to see, and know that I'm now responsible for this extra life, that we made this little baby, the amount of love that I feel for our baby, it overwhelms me. It's suffocating and terrifying and exhilarating all at once," he smiled wryly. "It's the best feeling in the world."

His face flushed slightly as his eyes flickered around the office and he realised that we weren't alone, and my hand lifted to stroke his reddened cheek.

"You don't need to be embarrassed."

I giggled as the technician coughed lightly. "I don't want to interrupt, but everything's fine with your little one and they're in the right position if you wanted to know their gender?"

My eyes met Dimitri's and he smirked. "I'm all for keeping it a surprise, but if you want to find out now Roza, y'know, get over your humiliation before she arrives that's fine with me."

I laughed and pulled my hand back. "You mean you want to find out so that you'll have finished sulking by the time _he_ arrives? And so that you have time to write out your apology?"

Dimitri chuckled and he shook his head. "Only you, Roza. Only you would be so stubborn and continue to argue even when you know I'm right."

"And only you would be stupid enough to argue with the woman who's been through this three times already." I glanced at the technician apologetically. "It's probably best that we don't find out now. I want a little more time to plan how I'm going to rub it in his face when the baby's here."

Dimitri snorted and met the technician's amused gaze as she repeated her question about how many copies of the ultrasound picture we'd like.

"We need ten print outs please."

She nodded, and then glanced between us, a helpful smile on her lips. "Do you have any questions you'd like to ask?"

As we both shook our heads I gratefully took the wad of tissue she held out, and then handed it to Dimitri to wipe the gunk off of my stomach.

"Come on, Comrade," I grinned innocently at his raised eyebrow. "It's good practice for when the baby arrives."

* * *

><p>"Dimitri," I stopped walking, my hands frozen in place where I'd been rubbing my stomach as I deliberated over two different coloured baby bodysuits, one in pastel green and the other red. "Dimitri!"<p>

He'd been a few racks ahead of me, his eyes scanning over the various items of baby clothes, and I giggled as he reached out, picking up a pair of baby booties and making them walk in mid-air by hooking his fingers into them, but at my raised tone he rushed back, his eyes wide with concern.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby? Is everything okay? Should I call an ambulance? Do-"

I gently placed a hand over his mouth to silence his panicked babble and then placed his hand against the top of my stomach.

"Just wait."

"For what?"

I smiled at the confusion that furrowed his brow and rested my hand on top of his so that I could make it rub small circles onto my stomach.

"Just give him a minute, you'll see."

My smile turned into a grin as I lifted my hand and he kept rubbing softly, his mouth opening to ask another question before he felt it and froze.

"Did she just kick?"

His voice was filled with wonder at the small fluttery thump that hit where his hand was resting, and then he grinned widely as it happened again.

"She's really kicking? It's not just another one of those weird pregnancy things?"

I laughed at Dimitri's question, his tone half joking and half sincere before I shook my head.

"Yes, _he's_ really kicking."

"_She_."

"_He_."

We mock glared at each other in the middle of the aisle, and then the baby thumped the spot right between each of our hands, as if to say 'cut it out, you two.' Dimitri's eyes filled with silent awe once again, and I melted against his side as we resumed looking at baby clothes.

"Closer to the time, we need to buy nappies," I grinned up at him slyly. "Guess who's going to be doing the night time feeding and cleaning."

He groaned and wrinkled his nose. "You're going to make me do all of the disgusting jobs, aren't you?"

"Think of it as part of the experience. I've been through it and you haven't. I don't want you to miss out on anything."

He snorted. "Sure, Roza. How noble and self-sacrificing you are."

* * *

><p>"Get me some more shortbread."<p>

"What's the magic word?"

I could hear the teasing note to Dimitri's voice but my irritation spiked. "Get me some fucking shortbread before I punch you in the face?"

He paused and then sighed, which made me feel guilty. It wasn't his fault that I was having a bad pregnancy and that the hormones racing around my body were making me a foul-mouthed, moody bitch.

If I could feel comfortable for one minute, maybe my temperament would be better, but since I couldn't, it wasn't. I'd been retaining water, so at seven months I felt sluggish and bloated. My feet were swollen most of the time and the constant backaches had meant that I'd had to go on maternity leave early. And I'd put on weight. _A lot_ of it. The house had practically shaken in its foundation from the force of my screams the first time I couldn't get my jeans to button up. And the first time I had to wear one of Dimitri's t-shirts instead of my own because I couldn't pull them down over my stomach… yeah, that was a memory everyone had agreed to pretend never happened.

The guilt gnawed at my insides as I felt Dimitri shift away from me slightly, and then get ready to stand, and I reached for his arm to pull him back. "I'm sor-"

My words cut off into little shrieks as his hands shot out, pinning me down carefully and then moving to my sides to tickle me before I could protect myself.

"Stop being so grumpy, Roza," his lips pressed to my neck and laughter spilled from my lips as he carefully moved off of me and pulled me in to rest against his chest. "I know that you're not having a good time of it right now. But being pouty doesn't suit you." His fingers trailed around my mouth. "This smile does."

I sighed, and his body shifted, pulling me so that I was on my side and his hands could rub the muscles at the base of my spine. "Two more months, and you get your son. From the way he pummels my poor body I can tell that he's going to be one of those early walkers and energetic at the crack of dawn like you. And stop smiling."

I swatted at Dimitri's chest but there wasn't any effort behind it as he kissed my forehead. "Admit it. You're excited. And you're happy that we're having another baby." One of his hands began to rub my stomach gently. "This baby _girl_ completes our family. Not that we weren't before, but-"

"It's the missing piece we didn't know we needed?"

His eyes were soft when they met mine and he nodded. "Yes. I love the kids so much, you know I do, but this… it's…"

I smiled, my hand cupping his cheek lightly as I voiced what he couldn't, or rather, didn't know how to express. "It's on a whole other scale. The things you're feeling, they're new and even more powerful and unnerving because you haven't been through this before. You don't know what to expect so every day brings a fresh surprise."

My stomach rumbled and he laughed as he carefully disentangled our bodies. "Case in point. Crazy cravings, something that I thought was made up. Do you still want that shortbread and some pickle on it like usual or something else instead, my lovely wife?"

Irrational tears sprang to my eyes and his own widened as he waved his hands uselessly in front of my face. "No! No tears! I can't deal with those again!" His panic made me laugh, and he relaxed a little. I'd cried for three hours straight the last time I snapped at him and he was still kind and patient with me. "I'll do anything, Roza, just please don't cry!"

More tears leaked from my eyes at the stress on his face and my lip wobbled. "I'm sorry. I- I don't mean to upset you. I'm such a mess. I just- I just-" I hiccupped, and then started sobbing, hot and heavy tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Alyssa! I need your help!"

I sobbed harder as Dimitri handed me a tissue and hesitantly sat down next to me.

"Can I hug you? Or will that make it worse this time?"

I nodded and buried my face into Dimitri's chest as he pulled me onto his lap and as close as he could despite my big pregnant belly.

"What happened this time?"

A smaller set of hands began to rub my back, dipping right down to the spot at the base of my spine which always ached the most when I was pregnant.

Alyssa.

The bed dipped, and then I felt her lean against the headboard, her hands pulling me away from Dimitri gently so that I'd turn towards her.

"Come on, mum," her voice was soft as I buried my face in the crook of her neck and sniffled as Dimitri took over rubbing my back. "What happened?"

"I was mean to Dimitri, and he was, he was-" I cried a little more as she began to run her fingers through my hair. "He was still nice to me and he didn't get mad and he was going to get me some more shortbread…" I hiccupped and the bed shifted again as Dimitri left my back alone and moved down to the foot of the bed and began to rub my feet.

"That's because dad loves you and he knows that it's the hormones making you snap and act like this. It's not your fault for being upset, we know that and you know that. And we know that you don't mean it when you act irrationally and get angry over silly things. Everyone has little breakdowns now and then, so long as you apologise afterwards and mean it then it's okay."

I nodded against her shoulder and then yawned. "I don't mean it," my voice was a soft whisper as she kissed my forehead.

"We know you don't, mum, and we love you."

"I love you all too." My eyelids drooped, and strong arms wrapped around my waist, coaxing me to lie down underneath the bedcovers.

Alyssa's hand ran through my hair once more before she got off the bed as my eyes shut again, and Dimitri's soft chuckle sounded through the bedroom. "Nice bit of role reversal there, sweetheart."

A softer giggle sounded, and then her reply. "I remember what she was like when she was pregnant with Tom and Sophia. Rub the base of mum's spine, it's where she feels the most pressure; and if she cries, just hold her, reassure her and let her cry herself out. If she cries it's usually late at night and she falls asleep straight away after." She giggled again. "It's all good practice for when the baby actually arrives."

Dimitri laughed, and then the room fell silent as he laid down next to me, his arms pulling my heavy body in against his. "Good night, Alyssa."

"Night, dad. Night, mum."

I mumbled sleepily, my mind already slipping away into blank dreams as Dimitri softly kissed my cheek. "Goodnight, Roza."

* * *

><p><em>Oh shit.<em>

I groaned as water gushed from between my legs and a pang rippled through my stomach. So much for a warm bath relieving my back ache. Or, as I now realised – much later than I should have – the start of me going into labour.

"Dimitri!" My voice had a warning note to it. "Pack your bags!"

"Why?"

His voice was muffled and completely clueless, and I rolled my eyes.

"Because we're going on holiday!"

"Really?" Tom and Sophia's heads poked around the doorframe in excitement.

"Where are we going?"

"No, we're not going on holiday. I was being sarcastic to your dad. DIMITRI!"

There was a crash from the kitchen, followed by the sound of Dimitri running up the stairs.

"What's wrong, Roza?"

I pointed to the floor and watched with amusement as his expression changed from concern, to confusion, to understanding, and then to panic as his eyes met mine.

"The baby?"

"Yep."

"She's coming?"

I nodded.

"Right now?"

I nodded again and Dimitri cursed in Russian. "I just put the dinner in the oven!"

I snorted. "Well I could place a call and see if he wants to wait a few hours, you know, so we can have dessert too. Switch the oven off, call Lissa, Mia and my parents, and your mum, and then let's go! This baby isn't going to wait around for us to be ready. We had nine months to do that!"

"Right. You're right." He dithered for a moment, and I giggled.

"Stop panicking. I'm going to shower again and while I do that you're going to call Mia so she can come over and look after the kids. Then you can help me get dressed because my stomach is so big I can't eve bend over to put my own underwear on anymore. And once Mia is here and everyone else who needs to know has been called and the contractions are closer together, we'll be ready to go to the hospital."

"So I can leave the oven on?"

I grunted and glared at him as another contraction hit. "I'll shove that fucking chicken up your ass. You sound more concerned about the food than the fact that I'm having your baby! Dinner can wait!"

* * *

><p>Dimitri paced next to me, nervous excitement making his hands twist and clench and pull at the hemline of his t-shirt.<p>

I groaned slightly, and breathed heavily as the contractions pulsing through my abdomen seemed to step it up a notch in terms of intensity, and that drew Dimitri's attention even more.

It was close to midnight, and I recognised the sharper, more insistent, powerful contractions that came with the transitional phase of the labour. Normally, the more children you had, the easier and faster the labour. This baby, however, seemed reluctant to finally come out into the world. Every time I demanded that Dimitri get a nurse to come and check my irritation would spike when they told me with their stupid, smiley faces that I _still_ wasn't dilated enough to start pushing.

Dimitri looked confused, and a little hesitant, as another groan escaped my lips. "Why aren't you yelling yet?"

"Because," I paused and hissed as another contraction pulsed through my abdomen. "I have done this three times before. I _know_ that there is worse pain to come, so there is _no_ _point_ in wasting my energy screaming my head off now!"

I moaned and struggled to roll onto my side as Dimitri sat on the edge of the hospital bed, his hands rubbing firmly at the tensed muscles of my back before swooping forwards, yet softly, to massage my aching stomach.

"This sucks," my voice was muffled into my pillow but Dimitri heard, a chuckle escaping his lips as he brushed the sweaty hair out of my face and pressed a kiss to the side of my head.

"I- I don't know what to say, Roza. I don't know how to comfort you," his voice was soft, but filled with concern. "I'm here for you."

The words were simple and made my throat clog with unshed tears. "I know." My fingers laced with Dimitri's over my stomach, and he settled down behind me on the bed, his body pressed flush against mine as he began to rub soothing circles into my achy skin once more.

"I love you," Dimitri's voice was soft and I sniffled as he shifted even closer. "I'm sorry that it's taking so long and hurting you so much."

My grip tightened on his as I panted through yet another goddamned contraction, and then his fingers were carefully wiping tears away from my cheeks that I didn't realise had fallen. My trembling muscles relaxed as he began to rub my stomach again, and I breathed out shakily.

"Are you sure you don't want an epid-"

"Kiz! Where's my little grandbaby? Did you punch Belikov yet?" My dad burst through the door, cutting off Dimitri's question and breaking the slight sense of peace that had started to settle over us, despite the bursts of pain that made my stomach clench.

"Ibrahim!" My mum's bark was sharp and I giggled despite myself as he winced at her tone as she stepped through the door, her eyes dark and arrowed as she glared at him. "You're like an excited puppy, harassing that poor receptionist and then running up here and leaving me behind!"

My eyes widened as I realised that my mum's tone was more… sulky and put out than angry, and my mouth stretched into a grin, despite the whimper of pain that slipped through my lips.

The sound stopped the impending argument and caught their attention, making them both turn to face me and Dimitri. My mum rushed forwards, her hands patting my shoulder gently, as though going into labour had suddenly made me as delicate as a blade of grass.

My dad at least had the decency to look shamefaced at my mum's reprimand. "I'm excited to meet the newest arrival."

I snorted. "You're going to be waiting a while longer, old man. This baby doesn't want to meet us just yet. And, mum," I caught her fluttering hands. "I'm not going to break. I just want the nurse to come and tell me that it's time to start pushing."

* * *

><p>I shifted in the bed, pressing the gas and air mask to my face and breathing in deeply, sighing happily when it took the edge off of the pain of the contractions that seemed to peak and overlap, leaving a near constant ache around my stomach.<p>

"It's not too late to…"

My dad's voice died down as I glared at him, and Dimitri continued to rub my stomach and back, his lips dropping light kisses to the nape of my neck.

"No epidurals. I'm sick and tired of being in this hospital, pumped full of drugs and whatnot. The pain is my reminder to take more precautions and ensure that this doesn't happen again," I grumbled under my breath. "Stupid Russian husband."

"What did I do? You were more than willing!"

I snorted and turned the glare up on Dimitri. "No more kids is what I said. And you gave me that puppy dog look that made me reconsider and my body knew and that's how I got pregnant. Asshole," I added on at the end as a particularly vicious spike of pain rippled through my stomach. "Someone go and get the nurse. I know I'm dilated enough. _Please_."

* * *

><p>"How do you feel?"<p>

Dimitri's voice was a soft murmur and I smiled up at him sleepily.

"Tired. Bored. If the nurse would just come and tell me I could start pushing," I yawned and he chuckled. "It would be even better."

He helped me to roll again, this time so that I was laid on my left side and able to rest my head on his chest.

And then I felt it, a sudden shift and a burning pressure between my legs, an ache that made me gasp and told me I was about to get my wish.

"Go get the doctor! Now!"

My dad's face paled and turned a little green as I grunted, trying to swallow down the urge to push before the nurse arrived as Dimitri pushed the call button and my mother slipped out of the room to find someone to come and help.

"Fuck's sake," I scowled as Dimitri carefully moved to sit behind me, supporting my back and pushing the hair out of my face as we'd practised in the antenatal classes. My hands rested on his thighs as I shifted my position, and then my nails dug into the muscles as the urge to bear down and push came with the contraction. "The bloody baby didn't want to come out at first, and now that no one's around he decides to pop out as quickly as he can. I…" my voice trailed off into a groan as another contraction hit and I spread my legs and then drew my knees up towards my chest. "I need to push!"

"Just wait a few minutes, Roza. Just a fe-"

"I can't!" Sweat beaded up on my forehead. "I need to push now. Baba, do something!"

He jumped at the half urgent, half pleading note to my voice, though his face still hadn't gained any colour. "What do you expect _me_ to do?!"

"Anything!" My voice was a screech with the effort of trying to ignore the urge to push. "Something! You were there when mum had me, you know what to do!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, kiz," his voice was a mutter, but he stepped towards the top end of the bed anyway. The hospital gown I'd changed into had ridden up slightly, but still covered my decency.

My dad grimaced, and his face seemed to pale even further as I grunted again. "What do you want me to do?"

"Check and tell me if I'm far enough along to start pushing even without the goddamned nurse!"

For a few moments, everything froze as my dad stared at me in pure horror. His eyes flickered down to my knees, and then my thighs, and then flew up to meet mine. "You want me to _look_ down there?!" At my insistent nod, he seemed to shake himself and take a step towards the foot of the bed before his face paled, his chest heaved and he fainted.

Dimitri snorted, just as the door to the room burst open and a doctor and nurse entered, my mum behind them. They all paused for a moment, shock and uncertainty covering their features as they took in my sweaty, panting, flushed body on the bed, and then the collapsed one of my father on the floor.

"Oh great." My mum's voice was sarcastic. "The idiot. He's so squeamish but loves to pretend he isn't. As if it ever really helps. He'll wake up in a few minutes." She snorted and crouched over him as the doctor and nurse moved towards me as I grunted again, digging my nails into the flesh of Dimitri's thigh as I began to give in to the desire to push.

"Okay, Mrs. Belikov, it's time. Are you ready?"

I think my scream answered her question more effectively than my words could have.

* * *

><p>Hot, slow tears trickled down my cheeks as I gazed at the little squirmy bundle in my arms, tiny eyes shut with content, a small hand resting possessively on my chest as small, pouty, pink cupid bow lips suckled hungrily.<p>

Dimitri's lips pressed against the nape of my neck and he sighed so softly that it would have been missed, if not for the near silence of the room.

The only sounds that punctuated the silence as Dimitri tightened his hold around me were the small gurgles of our baby and the soft rustle of the blankets as I shifted in Dimitri's arms, tilting my head back so that my lips could meet his, gently and tenderly as I poured all of the love and adoration I had into the kiss. His lips curved up into a smile as the kiss broke on its own and he leaned his forehead against mine.

"I love you."

Dimitri's fingers carefully wiped away the happy tears that trickled down my cheeks and he kissed my lips softly once more. "I love you, too." A small grunt sounded from the bundle in my arms and Dimitri chuckled, using the back of one of his fingers to carefully stroke one chubby cheek.

"You know this means you owe me a night of hot sex, don't you?" I shivered at his whisper, and then did my best to frown despite the laughter that escaped.

"You always get hot sex."

"Mmmm, but this time it's even better with the knowledge that I was right."

"Well, you'll get that hot sex when I feel up to it. And after the horror of this labour, you won't be getting any for a _long_ time."

Dimitri snorted softly into my ear, and then his gaze softened again, focused on our daughter. "Do you have any name ideas? That's the one thing that we never really talked about."

I shrugged and leant back into his chest, watching as her eyes flickered slightly but stayed shut. Her irises weren't filed with colour yet, but I was hoping that once they did, they'd be the same chocolate brown shade as Dimitri's. A shock of dark hair, the same shade as mine already caressed her small head. She was gorgeous, and I'd felt the overprotectiveness that had surged through Dimitri once the doctor had placed her into our arms.

"With Alyssa, I always knew that she'd be named after Lissa. With Tom and Sophia, I was scared and didn't know how to go about things. So I waited until they were born, and then I went through the baby name books I'd bought looking for the name that suited them."

Dimitri's fingers began to rub softly against my strangely flat stomach, and the calming motion made me yawn as a wave of exhaustion flowed over me.

"You should sleep, Roza."

"In a little while." My eyes met his and I smiled. "Do you have any name suggestions?"

Dimitri bit his lip, and then nodded, a slight touch of nervousness coating his voice. "I looked through a few of the websites Lissa found. I liked the sound of Alana Mary," he paused, and I kissed his jaw softly before glancing down at the baby in my arms, her small mouth still sucking even in sleep.

"Alana Mary Belikova." I tried the words out on my tongue and smiled. "Perfect."

Dimitri's face glowed with quiet pride as I rested back against him more comfortably and fell asleep, safe and secure with our daughter, cradled in my husband's arms.

* * *

><p><strong>*wipes sweat from brow* I hope that made up for the awfully long time it took me to update.<strong>

**Next chapter is the epilogue and will be in Dimitri's POV. **

**I would love to hear your thoughts if you're still reading this story, especially as there's only one more chapter to go.**


	42. Epilogue

**Anonymous review replies:**

**Guest – **Thank you!

**Guest – **I hope you enjoy it!

**VA Addict – **I know exactly how you feel! I don't want it to end either! :'( Thank you so much for R&R'ing, and I'm glad you've enjoyed it so much! Sadly, no, there won't be a sequel, but I do have some more outtakes in the works :) and I have a lot of new stories that are being pre-written and planned! :D

**Guest – **I'm sorry it's taken me so long, but I hope you enjoy it now it's up!

**Guest – **Adrian fired the gun as Dimitri tried to twist it away, so it ended up firing in his face and killed him.

**Guest – **Thank you!

**Guest – **No, I just had a lot of stress and schoolwork which meant I was blocked whenever I tried to write. :( I'll never just abandon a story. If it's still up and not marked complete, it means I'm still working on it. :)

**Please note that this is the last chapter of LWTA. *cries* There are, however, a few one-shots on the way, the first one which is of Alana's first day at nursery called Precious Steps. So if you haven't already done so, add me to your author alerts and keep an eye out! :)**

**My ending A.N. is at the bottom, so please make sure you read it.**

**This story is dedicated to everyone who has ever read, reviewed, favourited, alerted or helped out in some way, shape or form with this story, as without you, it would never have been written. Thank you for coming along with me for the ride. xx**

**Super huge apologies for the obscenely long wait. I have a ton of excuses but I'm anxious to just finally give this to you, so enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>~ Epilogue ~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Dimitri POV.<strong>

**A few hours later…**

I stared down at my daughter, sound asleep and cradled in my arms. She was so tiny, so perfect. Small, perfect hands and feet, ten tiny fingers and toes with little, delicate nails and super soft skin.

Her left foot twitched slightly as she shifted in my arms and I stared in awe for the millionth time as her mouth stretched into a little 'O' as she yawned and squirmed some more before her eyelids fluttered and then opened, heavy and dark with sleep.

"Hey, baby girl," At my whispered words her eyes flickered to mine and held as I carefully shifted her in my arms. "Your mummy's sleeping right now, so I wanted to say hi." I paused, feeling slightly silly for whispering to her when I knew she couldn't understand what I was saying, but still wanting to connect with her and soak up every detail of every minute that I could.

"I'm your daddy, and I've been so excited and nervous waiting to meet you. We all have. You've got a brother and three sisters at home waiting to meet you too. And your grandparents and aunties and uncles… they're all going to fall in love with you the minute they see you. Well, your grandparents already have, but you were asleep when they came in, so they're going to want to meet you again when you're awake to see them…" I hesitated as I carefully stroked along the palm of her left hand, elation bubbling up in my chest as her fingers curved around my index one and she blinked slowly, her gaze never leaving my own as my eyes widened at the strength in her grip, belying my previous thoughts that babies were tiny and delicate. "You're gonna be a tough one, aren't you?"

Roza snored and shifted on the bed and I laughed as Alana's little eyes seemed to widen at the strange noise. "That was your mummy. She's very tired at the moment." I gently adjusted the hold I had on her and supported her head so she could see Roza's sleeping form. "You're beautiful, just like your mummy. I'm going to have to get a gun to keep the boys away from you."

It had been meant as a joke, but the thought was sobering, reminding me of how things had ended with Adrian as my chest ached and gun shots rang out in my mind, freezing me in place for a moment when my breathing spiked and I had to forcibly calm myself.

Alana whimpered, picking up on the tension that ran through my body, her hand releasing my finger when her mouth opened and a small strangled cry escaped as her eyes began to screw up in agitation.

"I'm sorry, baby girl, I'm sorry." Roza's face scrunched up as she started to wake and Alana's cries grew louder and more insistent and intense as I panicked, rubbing at her tummy softly, and patting her little fists. "I'm sorry, baby girl. I didn't mean to upset you, daddy's sorry. Shhhh."

"Put her on your shoulder," Roza's voice was a sleepy mumble as her hazel brown eyes blinked at me slowly. "And then rub her back in small circles."

I followed her instructions, my eyes widening at the bright red shade Alana's face had turned as she screamed at the top of her lungs, her tiny hands clenched into fists.

"How on Earth can something so little make so much noise?"

Roza laughed, shrugging softly as I shook my head in amazement and began to gently rub Alana's back, my lips pressing against the downy hair on her head in a soft kiss as she continued to yell a little more, and then seemingly cried herself out as her wails began to quieten and slow down.

"Even when you berate me loudly for messing up, I still love you, baby girl."

I smiled and carefully lifted the hand that rested against my chest to my lips, marvelling once more at the softness of her skin.

A small snuffling sound left her lips and then Alana relaxed completely in my arms, her face resting in between my shoulder and the crook of my neck as she fell asleep once again.

I craned my neck backwards to see the peaceful expression on her face, and then my eyes met Roza's, soft, happy and warm with emotion.

"You're a brilliant daddy, Dimitri."

* * *

><p><strong>The next day…<strong>

"She's very small."

Tom stared doubtfully at Alana who was cradled in Roza's arms and Sophia nodded along in agreement. "And very wrinkled."

"And squirmy."

"And pink."

Roza laughed lightly as they continued to assess their youngest sister who was currently staring back up at them, wide eyes flicking around the room as they talked over her.

"Can I hold her?"

Alyssa and Katrina had been enthralled with the newest addition to the family, asking questions non-stop from the time I'd met them in the reception to bring them to Roza's room and only quieting when they'd seen Alana was asleep. Now that she was awake, they were itching to meet her properly, to introduce themselves and hold her and take pictures to show all their friends.

"Sit down fir-"

"I called first dibs on holding baby kiz!"

Janine only rolled her eyes as Abe began arguing with the kids over who was going to hold the baby first before Lissa stepped in and smoothly took over from Rose, smirking as they fell silent and Abe frowned.

"But I called first dibs."

"Next time, maybe you should actually do something to hold the baby, rather than arguing about it."

Christian was peering over her shoulder, and predictably, Alana pulled him under her spell once they locked gazes, a goofy smile covering his face as he stroked one finger across her tiny hand. "Even though she's so small, it still amazes me how babies fit out of such a tiny hole-"

"Christian!"

Mis snorted and looked like she was hiding a smile, but Lissa's sharp reprimand startled Alana who began to snuffle and squirm like she'd done the night before, little whimpers preceding the fall out that was sure to follow.

"Now look what you've done!"

"What I've done? You're the one that scared her in the first place!"

I chuckled as Lissa continued to try and softly rock Alana despite the glares she and Christian were trading and lifted her into my arms, this time rubbing her stomach softly until the tears stopped and she was almost asleep.

"I still want to hold baby kiz."

A smile quirked my lips as I gazed down at Alana once more before passing her into her grandfather's arms, watching as Janine moved to his side and carefully stroked her small cheek as they cooed over her.

"She really is a beautiful baby, Rose."

"And the last Belikov baby I'm having. Cute as she may be that labour was awful. And Dimitri's getting a vasectomy."

"What?!" I took a step back, noticing that the rest of the men in the room mirrored my movements as Roza tore her gaze away from her mother who was now holding Alana to focus on me.

"You heard me. No more unplanned pregnancies!"

"But-"

"No buts. Either you get snipped or we never have sex again."

I winced at the casual way she mentioned it, even as the kids began the usual rounds of protests and complaints at the mention of their parents being intimate.

"Oh suck it up, how do you all think you got here?" At Mia's raised eyebrow they subsided into mutters and dark looks, but perked up once Janine carefully placed Alana into Mia's arms.

"Alyssa and Katrina, you can hold her next. Tom and Sophia, you need to come and sit next to me before you get to hold her." Silence filled the room as they dutifully followed Roza's orders.

"I still want a little bro-"

"When your dad is able to have a baby, then you'll get your little brother. Until then, _no_."

Alana chose that moment to yawn widely, and the conversation was forgotten.

* * *

><p><strong>Three Months Later…<strong>

I stared down in horror at the screeching, wriggly bundle that seemed intent on escaping from my hands and landing head first on the floor.

What on Earth had happened to my sweet little daughter to turn her into- into _this_?

"Alana, baby girl… what's wrong? Come on, it's not that ba-"

An ear piercingly loud wail made me flinch and fumble.

"Roza!"

"What?"

"She won't stop screaming. I don't know what to do!"

Patting her back hadn't helped. Neither had rubbing her tummy, or changing the position I'd held her in, or humming, or singing, or talking to her softly. Trying to kiss her head had resulted in nearly having my eye poked out as she waved her tiny fists around in little jerky movements.

"Roza!" My voice was desperate as I clutched Alana closely to my chest, grabbed her nappy and bed time clothes in my free hand and then made my way downstairs into the front room where Roza was curled up on the sofa and the kids were watching television.

Alana had quietened down a little as we'd moved from one room to the other, but now she started up again in full force, little chocolate brown eyes narrowed and glaring up at me accusingly as I peered down into her reddened face.

"C'mon, baby girl. It was only a quick bath. You're screeching like I ripped the head off of your cuddly bunny."

More crying followed that statement and Roza laughed. "She's probably hungry and tired," she held her arms out and I gratefully passed Alana into her embrace as her eyes scanned my face. "You look exhausted. I'll put her to sleep and get the kids sorted while you go and get ready for bed. I think everyone needs an early night."

I nodded, my body aching at the mention of getting into bed and kissed her softly before saying my good night's to the kids and heading back out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Are you asleep?" Roza's voice was soft as she slipped under the covers and flicked off the lamp, casting the room into darkness.<p>

"Not yet," I rolled over to pull Roza into my arms, our lips meeting briefly before she curled up against my chest. "You're tense, what's on your mind?"

"I should know better by now than to try and hide stuff from you, shouldn't I?"

I chuckled lightly and then kissed the top of her head. "It's my job as your husband. Besides, you can always tell when I have stuff on my mind so it's only fair that I'm able to do the same. Now spill."

She sighed, and then wriggled out of my arms so that we were face to face. "Is it strange or wrong that I'm upset over the way things ended with Camille and Daniel? That as soon as the police cleared Camille of having any involvement with Adrian's crazy plan, she packed up their things and moved away, pulled Daniel out of school and left without even saying goodbye to Katrina? I know that Katrina's ours, but still, she's her biological mother. I just don't see how she can't feel even slightly guilty at what she's done to her daughter, to not want to say goodbye or see if there's a chance that she and Katrina could have some sort of relationship now that Adrian's not a threat or influencing her anymore."

"I think that's _exactly_ the reason why she's done it, Roza. Guilt. The guilt is too much for her to handle, so she decided to run. But she'll never be able to get away from it or escape. Now she's started running, she won't be able to stop. It'll always be there, preying on her mind or tugging at her heart; she'll see something and it'll remind her all over again. So, no, it's not strange that you're upset, because you're upset for Katrina, the way a mother should be. Be happy that you feel this way, it only further shows just how much you care for her, and the fact that we were right to bring her into our family."

"I never thought of it like that." I kissed her forehead and then let her climb back out of bed to check on the kids once more. It was something we'd both started to do, after what had happened with Adrian. It was irrational, but if checking one last time that they were safe and sound and tucked up in their beds helped us to sleep better at night then neither of us were going to stop.

"They're all fine." I smiled as Roza re-entered the room, pausing to glance down at Alana asleep in her cot and tuck the covers back around her before she got back into bed.

"While we're on the subject, why do you keep hiding from me?"

Roza frowned and her brow furrowed in confusion as she pulled the covers up over her chest and then wriggled across the bed into my arms.

"I'm not hiding from you, I'm right here."

I chuckled and tugged at the long sleeve of her pyjama top. "I'm talking about this, Roza. The long sleeved tops and pyjamas that barely expose your neck and ankles like we're back in the Victoria era. Why are you hiding from me?" Her eyes dropped and a flush of colour stole its way up her neck. "You have nothing to hide. I've seen it all before." I paused, hoping she'd laugh, but she didn't answer, except to try and bury her head in my chest and I sighed as my finger began to run through her hair. "Roza, look at me."

"No," her voice was stubborn, not teary, which was a good sign.

"Roza,"

"Just leave it, Dimitri."

"Not until you look at me and tell me what's going on."

Silence.

"Roza-"

"Why do you have to be the one guy who actually wants to get into all the deep emotional, let's-talk-about-our-feelings fluff and do all that sort of stuff? Why can't you just make a crass comment about the fact that my boobs are bigger now and leave it at that?"

"Because I love you, and as you seem to constantly forget, I love you for more than your body." Her face tilted up a little and I smiled. "I love you for your passion, your care, the contrast between your ferocity and gentleness, the way you're stern but loving with the kids, and the fact that you've got such a big, beautiful heart that it makes me fall deeper in love with you every day."

Worried hazel eyes met mine. "I feel fat. And ugly. And my breasts are sore sometimes, and that makes me feel even worse. And I haven't lost all the baby weight yet, and I don't want you to see because the stretch marks are hideous and I don't want you to see them until they're not so prominent, and-"

My lips met Roza's softly, and I savoured the way her mouth moulded against mine, her fingers threading through my hair as I pulled her close. "I love you." My lips began to trail across her jaw, and I smiled against her skin as she gasped. "I love you, Rosemarie Belikova, every single inch of you. I don't care whether you never lose the baby weight. I don't care if you put on five stone," my lips began to trail down her neck until I reached her collarbone, where I bit down lightly. "I don't care, because you are my beautiful wife and the mother of our children, and I love you no matter what."

"Mmm, Dimitri, but-"

"So," my tongue began to tease the skin of her neck, and I grinned inwardly at the thought of giving her a love bite. "Stop covering up from me. If you're genuinely cold or want to wear those pyjamas then fine, but don't hide your body away because of what you _think_ I'm thinking. I like to hold my wife in my arms, not reams of flannel because of a lack of communication. You are beautiful. And sexy. And you've been teasing me for the last three months with that sultry little smirk you like to use, and then leaving me high and dry-" I pulled back, intending to look into her eyes to be certain that she wanted me to continue, only to find Roza's hands pushing me back down to her chest.

"You talk about me being a tease, and look at what you're doing." I groaned at the breathy tone to her voice as arousal thudded through my veins, and slowly began to inch my hands up her top, my lips kissing every centimetre of exposed skin until a hungry wail pierced the near silence.

"Damn it." I sighed and rested my cheek against Roza's stomach for a moment before getting out of bed. "Now I remember why you were against having any more kids in the first place."

* * *

><p><strong>Nine months later…<strong>

"Bah."

"Yes, Alana?"

"Bah. Bah, bah." Her pudgy little baby hands clasped together when I leant back and placed her on my chest as her little cheeks pulled up into a gummy smile.

"Come on, you can do it," I couldn't help the grin that popped up across my face when her little eyes, eyes that were exactly the same as my own and those of my family, locked with mine and she smiled again, dimples showing in her chubby cheeks. Her smiles and laughter brought me to my knees every single time, and I was proud to admit it.

"Ba." She let go of her hands and leant forwards slightly, before her hands came out again and pressed against my chest for a moment. "Muhhh." Her hands lifted to press against my cheeks as she stared at me, waiting for an answer.

She couldn't talk, but our daughter was smart and knew how to get her point across.

"She's in the shower." I crossed my eyes and stuck my tongue out of the corner of my mouth, grinning when she laughed; soft little giggles filling the room as she burbled happily to herself.

"What are you both laughing about?"

Alana's eyes lit up and her arms stretched out invitingly as Roza entered the room and walked over to us. "Muhhhh. Mu-" She paused and her face scrunched up as we both watched her. Her expressions were some of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen. Her nose wrinkled as her face straightened out and she smiled, until she sneezed.

It wasn't huge, but her little body shook from the effort.

"Excuse you." I kissed the tip of her nose as Rose laughed, but Alana's eyes filled up with tears and my heart just about broke in my chest.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" She stared at me as her bottom lip trembled, and she sneezed again before bursting into sobs. Tears streaked down her cheeks as her tiny face crumpled and I immediately pulled her into my chest, Roza's hands rubbing soft circles on her back as we tried to soothe her. "It was just a sneeze, that's all."

"Daaaaaa."

I couldn't help it. Despite my heart twisting as she cried, I had to laugh at the forlorn expression on her face when she paused and looked up at me.

"You're not even all that upset are you, baby girl?"

"Da."

That and a sniffle were all I got with regards to an answer and I laughed lightly as she leant in for a cuddle. "I know it's strange, but you're fine. I'm guessing your mummy taught you that trick, huh?"

Roza snorted. "You're just a big softie. Now come on, we don't want to be late for our own daughter's christening, do we?"

"You ready, baby girl?" Her brown eyes met mine, blinking up at me solemnly before she rested her head against my chest once more. "Okay, let's go." Roza winced, and I paused as she rubbed at her stomach. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded and sighed. "They're just taking turns in pummelling my kidneys. I'll be much better once these twins are born."

"Lissa and Christian wouldn't have minded waiting for lon-"

"I know, I know, but that's not going to change things now. And if I'd waited I'm sure I would have changed my mind. It's all for the best that the IVF worked as well as it did. Besides, I love seeing the elation on their faces when they get to fuss over the bump and feel the babies move and the horror on Christian's face when Lissa drags him on another huge shopping spree for them. Now," she paused and winced again but slapped my hand away as I reached for her. "It's not that bad, Dimitri. They'll calm down once I start moving around, and we really need to leave. The kids are ready and waiting by the door."

"Then let's get going."

* * *

><p>Everything had been going smoothly, which of course meant that it was too good to last.<p>

Alana had slept all the way to church and throughout most of the service, only waking when the priest had poured Holy Water over her head before anointing her with oil, and even then she didn't cry; only looked around in confusion, a disgruntled frown marring her face. Being handed from person to person, before settling in Christian's arms when he and Lissa took care not to ruin her Christening gown as they made their declarations on her behalf hadn't even caused her to wake up in a grumpy mood and fuss.

Oh no, the trouble came when the ceremony was ended and it was time to take pictures… and partway through Abe decided to take it upon himself to put on the bonnet that went with Alana's Christening gown. Yes, she looked adorable dressed up in the gown and shawl, and the bonnet would only have added to that, but Abe didn't seem to have realised that his granddaughter had inherited her mother's stubborn streak, like her brother and sisters. And Alana did _not_ want to wear it.

Abe put it on, she pulled it off, and everyone laughed.

Abe put it back on, this received a few moments where Alana allowed him to leave it there, and then she pulled it off… and dropped it.

Cue a battle of epic proportions.

This time, Abe held her hands down after he'd put it on, and Alana began to screech at the top of her lungs and flail around like a sock puppet. "Daaaaaah!"

"Baba, maybe we should just leave-"

"No." Abe grunted as he had to either release Alana's wrists or drop her, and then scowled as she all but tore the bonnet from her head, a practised look of disgust across her delicate features as she deliberately let it fall to the ground. "I bought it, and she looks cute in it so she's going to wear it."

The kids snickered and even the priest looked like he was hiding a smile as Alana and Abe tried to stare each other down. "Come on, baby kiz."

"Da! No!" More squirming accompanied her little shout as Abe began to try and put the bonnet back on her head. "Muh!"

"Baby girl," her eyes met mine as I brushed a hand across her curly tufts of hair. "Just let your granddaddy put it on for one picture, and then you can take it off."

Predictably, she sat still for a few seconds as I talked to her, and then started to screech and wail as the dreaded bonnet made contact with her head again.

"No!"

"Kiz, where's her rattle? Maybe the noise will distract her long enough to get at least one picture with the bonnet on."

"I don't think that's a good idea, baba…"

"Nonsense. She'll love it and forget all about this silly tantrum."

"Are you s-"

"Rose, just give your father the rattle." Janine's eyes held a gleam of supressed laughter, and I felt a brief stab of pity for Abe as Alana's grabby hands wrapped around the rattle and she looked up at her grandfather suspiciously.

"Muh?"

Rose smiled and kissed her forehead as we took our places around Abe so that the picture could be taken.

A little shaking sound filled the silence, and Abe, true to his word, took advantage of Alana's distraction to pull the bonnet onto her head and smile at the camera.

"Chee- ow! Son of a bi- gun!"

Alana had smacked him full in the face with her rattle.

Everyone stared in shocked amazement at the huge red mark on Abe's forehead, then at Alana who seemed surprised at herself, and then burst into tears, little sobs wracking her body as she dropped the rattle and held her arms out towards Roza.

"Oh no, it's okay," my eyes widened as I looked up from where I'd been rubbing her back, to find everyone fussing, well trying to fuss over Alana, to hear Janine laughing at the bewildered look on Abe's face.

"I told you not to buy that damn hat!" She laughed some more. "But you didn't listen! And your face… when she hit you…" She actually looked like she wanted to sink to the floor and roll around. "And you- you look so upset because everyone's fussing over the baby instead of you!"

* * *

><p><strong>Seven months later…<strong>

Soft burbles filled the room, and I smiled as Roza curled up into my lap.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," her head tilted back, and I smiled at the contentment that was clear to see in her eyes before my lips met hers gently. "I love you, Comrade."

"I love you too, Roza." My hands found hers as we watched the babies on the floor. Alana was now nineteen months old, walking, talking and mischievous, following in her older siblings' footsteps and keeping us on our toes.

Lissa and Christian had come down to spend the Christmas holidays with us and to continue looking for a house. They were planning on keeping their house up in Scotland, but as a holiday home, and relocating closer to us, so that we could see the twins regularly.

Marcus Andre and Oliver Christian Ozera had been born four months ago, happy and healthy and a perfect mix of their parents. Marcus had Lissa's hair but his father's eyes, and Oliver was the complete opposite, both of them happy and healthy babies who had weighed a little under six pounds each when they were born despite being a month premature.

They had made Roza and I Godparents as thanks in helping them to finally have their own family, and had fallen in love with their babies from the moment Roza told them that the IVF had been successful and they were going to be parents. Lissa had quit work almost immediately and moved in with us once Roza was three months along, and Christian had driven down every weekend to spend time with us. Roza refused to have anything to do with the baby, outside of what an auntie would usually do, and so Lissa and Christian attended all of her doctor's appointments and antenatal classes, and were the first ones to see their babies on the ultrasound monitor and to feel them kick.

Once Roza had to go on maternity leave, she and Lissa had spent a lot of their time during the day house hunting and it had become the norm to come home and find Roza laid out on the sofa, Lissa sat beside her and cooing at her stomach. When Roza went into labour, Lissa and Christian were by her side the entire time, soothing, calming and encouraging her in equal measure as she brought their children into the world, and as I'd held Roza afterwards, their smiles and joy clearly made it all worth it.

Now, watching as they carefully played with their children on the floor, holding up stuffed toys for them to burble and try to grab at with their small hands, I could feel Roza smile against my chest.

"They're brilliant parents. I'm glad we gave them the chance to actually be a proper family."

My reply was cut off by the sound of shouting in the hallway, where Mia and Mason were supposed to be having a 'discussion', and Lissa's eyes widened as it startled the babies and Oliver began to cry, which in turn upset his brother and the resulting noise meant Alana stopped what she was doing to toddle over and cuddle.

"Well just _fuck off_ then!"

"Mia, for God's sakes, I'm just suggesting that-"

"That what?! If you don't like the way things are between us then fuck off!"

"I didn't mean it like that-"

"How else could you mean it?"

"Would you just _listen_ for a second-"

"No! If you- mmph!"

Silence reigned supreme, and everyone waited anxiously too see what would happen next before looking incredibly guilty as the kids entered the front room to plonk themselves down in front of the television, their faces red and flushed from the cold wind outside.

"Aunt Mia and Mason are kissing."

"You son of a bitch! Don't think you can just kiss me and that'll sol-"

More silence was followed by a soft moan and then a sharp slap, and the kids grinned at each other in anticipation of hearing more 'bad words' as Mia stomped into the front room.

Mason followed after her, and then pulled her into his arms as she tried to turn away. "You drive me absolutely crazy, and your temper is awful."

"Well your hair is hideous and I'm going to get a dog to replace you."

"Marry me."

"And- what?"

"You are a tiny, crazy, beautiful woman, and I love you. Will you, Mia Rinaldi, marry me?"

"I- but you- you want to break up."

Mason laughed. "No, I said that I was frustrated with the way things were between us, and I _meant_ that I wanted to make them more permanent. So I'll ask you one more time, because if you don't answer again I'm going to drive us both to Gretna Green right now…" He let go of her, and Mia gasped as he knelt down on one knee. "I haven't bought you a ring, because I know no matter what I'd choose you'd argue. I want to get you something you want, so I'll buy the ring you pick out, regardless of price or what it looks like. I'll give you the wedding of your dreams. I'll argue with you about the most inane things every night, because it's your way of saying 'I love you'. The only thing you have to do is say yes. Amelia Rinaldi, will you-"

"Yes!"

Mia all but fell on top of Mason, her hands threaded through his hair as she kissed him fiercely, and I snorted as the kids shrugged and turned their attention back to the television. Marcus and Oliver were staring at their Aunt and Uncle with wide eyes, the noise and sudden movements capturing their attention as Lissa leant against Christian and smiled up at him when he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

"Mason's proposal reminds me a lot of the way my mum said my dad proposed. Our family is absolutely crazy, I hope you know that. "

I smiled down at Roza as she let Alana down to go and sit with her brother and sisters before I tilted her face up and kissed her deeply.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

><p><strong>~ THE END ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Love is patient and kind.<em>

_Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant __or rude._

_It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful._

_It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth._

_Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things._

_Love never ends._

**_1 Corinthians 13._**

* * *

><p><strong>End A.N.<strong> Woah, so that's the end of Life Will Turn Around. Almost 200K words, and just under two years have made this fanfiction what it is. This story has been my greatest achievement in fan fiction so far. It developed from a daydream, to something that bugged the hell out of me until I wrote it down. It was supposed to only be ten chapters long – that very obviously didn't happen. It expanded and grew in ways that I never expected. And the response to it has been absolutely phenomenal. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, whether it was only one chapter or all of them. I can't say it enough, thank you. I truly hope that you enjoyed reading it just as much as, if not more than I enjoyed writing it. This is beginning to sound like a speech, but I don't care! This story has been through so much with me and it is without a doubt my favourite. So I want to say thank you to all of you fabulous readers for going through it all with me.

Thank you also to my fabulous ladies here and on facebook: Katy, Gabby, Morgan, Tara, Jusinda, Hannah, Christina, Maria, Svetlana, Angela, Mel, Shiropa, Ashley, Varsh, Michele, Mandy, Jen, Maggie, Evette, Evneet, Jessie, R, Claudia, Steph, Tatiana, Jessica, Tashwampa, and everyone else who helped me write, encouraged and supported me and are brilliant friends.

For those of you who are wondering what the future holds for me and fanfiction, I'm going to start working on the sequel to '**Who are you, really?**' and the first chapter of that should be posted up within a couple of months. I need to finish up my chapters for Rose Melissa Ivashkov's Night World fic '**Meant to Be'**, and I'm also going to add a couple chapters to '**Beg For It'**, I have a few **outtakes for this story** to be done, I need to finish up **After The Fall** and I have a lot of new story ideas up my sleeves. So keep an eye out, and just in case it takes me longer than expected, add me to your author alerts. Or add me on facebook. '**Nicia VA-ff**' is still there and I'll be continuing to post up teasers, questions and pictures etc. :)

I'm also branching out into other fandoms and on other sites. I have one Dramione one-shot that was written as part of a fic exchange and titled '**Quasi Tinea Flamma**' and a Need, Pixies fic that I'm re-writing with the hopes to post once it's complete. I'm now on **LiveJournal as nishe-w** , **AO3 (an Archive of Our Own) as Nicia** and **DeviantArt as DJ-Ab**. I will start posting and cross posting to those sites soon.

The facebook group '**Juliet had it easy; she never had to kill Romeo**' is also still going strong if you'd like to come and join us for recs, debates and conversations, and we also have a facebook page of the same name.

Once more, thank you all, and I do hope that you'll continue to read my future works.

Love, Nicia. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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